“Living Paintings has made reading inclusive” – Amelia’s story

Four-year-old Amelia has already faced more challenges than many adults. Born with a unique genetic sequence – the only recorded case in the world – she needed major heart surgery at five months old, eye surgery at seven weeks, and still requires specialist feeding and equipment. Yet despite everything, she’s a lively, chatty little girl who loves stories and can fully enjoy them thanks to Living Paintings.

Amelia’s mum, Sian, says family life can be ‘chaos’, filled with hospital appointments, paperwork, and equipment. That’s why discovering Living Paintings has been so special.

“I first heard about Living Paintings through Amelia’s Qualified Teacher of Vision Impairment,” explains Sian. “She sent me an email about the service, and I thought I’d give it a try.

“The application process was so quick and easy. Compared to many services we’ve had to apply for, which can be overwhelming, this was completely straightforward. It made such a difference.”

Amelia has a severe sight impairment and can only see bright lights and colours so being able to feel the raised pictures of a book unlocks a whole new world for her.

“Amelia has congenital glaucoma in her left eye and had to have eye surgery at only seven weeks old to lower her eye pressure with adjustment to attempt for more light perception,” says Sian.

“She also gets very dry eyes as she can’t fully close them when she sleeps so she can be prone to infection and needs up to 15 eye drops a day.

“However, she loves sensory lights and can track them, so we know that something is getting through even though she’s never properly been able to see.”

For Sian, the books are about more than reading, they create moments of inclusion and joy.

“We’ve always read to Amelia from a young age, but with Living Paintings it feels different. She loves feeling the raised pictures, and we add props like teddies or foil blankets to bring the stories alive.

“Her dad is the best at doing the funny voices and she snuggles in with him at story time. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Wayne Rosen is her absolute favourite. She also loves sea creature books because of the noises and sounds.

“She’s never been able to go to a library, and until Living Paintings we’ve only had audio books. With her special chair with a tray, I bring her down to ground level and we listen together. She always enjoys them. We read them more than once and she likes to have the repetition. It’s created special moments with both my children and really brings the stories to life.”

Sharing the books has also brought Amelia closer to her younger brother, Atlas. “They both get so excited when the box of books arrives,” says Sian. “It’s become a family activity. Living Paintings has made reading inclusive for Amelia, and that’s something we’ll always be grateful for.”

Above all, the simplicity of the service has been key. “When so much of our life is taken up with medical forms and appointments, it means the world to have something that is so easy to access, renew, and return,” says Sian.