Dad’s plea for Aoife’s bus
Our inspiration Aoife is driving sensory bus appeal forward
A doting father is using the memory of his ‘ warrior princess’ to inspire an incredible project.
Heartbroken Michael Kidd is trying to raise money for a sensory bus after his daughter Aoife, 6, lost her battle with brain cancer.
In a touching tribute Michael said: “She was my warrior princess and our inspiration. We are going to complete this for her.”
A doting father is using the memory of his ‘ beautiful warrior princess’ to inspire an incredible project.
Michael Kidd has been left a broken man after his daughter Aoife died in December, aged just six.
Aoife had been fighting brain cancer since she was a baby. She was diagnosed with high grade glioma when she was just 16 months.
In a heartbreaking tribute to his daughter, Michael said: “For a wee girl that was so ill, she didn’t really ever let on she was sick.
“The way she carried herself through surgery, through chemotherapy, through all the other procedures that went with it – she was just a wee warrior.
“When we were preparing for her funeral we found out that her name means ‘ warrior princess’. That was fitting.
“With the seriousness and the type of tumour that it was, we always knew we were between a rock and a hard place.
“But when she was down at Great Ormond Street Hospital, the clinical trial seemed to hold things up to a certain point.
“As was with Aoife’s character, within a week of surgery she was up and jumping about and running again as if there wasn’t too much wrong.
“Then she was due for her routine scan around the end of November – and things had just escalated to the point of no return.
“We were devastated but it all happened so quickly from that point – we’re just glad she wasn’t put in too much discomfort.”
This time last year Michael and his wife Evelyn, both 38, launched a fundraising campaign to pay for a sensory room in Monkton Primary.
The pair, who have a four- year- old daughter named Eilidh, were overwhelmed by the support they received and within months the room was up and running in time for Aoife to start school in August.
During their fundraising drive, they were donated a bus from Stagecoach.
The couple decided they would transform the gift into a sensory bus that would travel about Ayrshire for Aoife and others to benefit from.
But in November, Aoife’s routine scan showed things had escalated to the point of no return and on December 16 the youngster died.
Her heartbroken parents could have given up on the project – but Michael says it has made them even more determined to get the bus on the road.
The paramedic, of Monkton, told the Post: “It’s just put that little bit of extra fire in the belly to get it done.
“Aoife has always been the inspiration and driving force behind it all and we just want to get the bus up and running for her now.
“The plan is to install a sensory environment within the bus so it can travel around schools in Ayrshire for lots of kids to benefit from.
“Through our journey we have learned of the benefits of using sensory equipment in schools for a whole host of causes and the outcomes that can be achieved.”
As well as creating a relaxing environment the equipment can be used for stimulation, to help with the development and stimulation of senses.
During Aoife’s gruelling chemotherapy procedures, the tot would get extremely wound up and stressed.
But Michael and Evelyn found the hospital’s sensory equipment was an extremely effective way of calming her down.
Asked if Aoife got to use the sensory room at Monkton Primary before she died, Michael’s face lit up as he said: “She did, she did so.
“She got into her first day of P1 and for the first few months she made good use out of the room – we actually saw a great benefit from it.
“Whenever she was going through chemo and physio, we always saw the benefits of the sensory equipment.
“But we appreciate the cost of a sensory room is extensive and understand that all schools cannot install such. That’s why we feel our bus would be a fantastic method of providing such means.
“We are passionate that the purpose of the bus is multi- use, to target young people across Ayrshire who require a sensory integrated approach to improve their wellbeing and assist their educational targets in a create and meaningful way.
“We want it to promote inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness for just a couple of folk.
“Sensory rooms and equipment can engage children who require a more creative approach to education.
“For folk who are maybe in the same sort of scenario as Aoife or have additional support needs, it can give them that chance to have a go in the mainstream educational environment.”