Many people are coming together in order to ensure that a young girl with a rare chromosomal syndrome has a birthday to remember, including a hot air balloon trip with ourselves at Bailey Balloons.
Kenzie Scarlett Lloyd, who lives in Merthyr Tydfil, has been battling the condition for almost a decade before finally getting a diagnosis back in February. It has been a long struggle for her family, who had been seeking an adequate diagnosis for some time.
Doctors finally concluded that Kenzie is suffering from Chromosome 17q21.31 Microdeletion Syndrome, a genetic disorder that only affects one person in every 16,000. It causes Kenzie problems in many areas, including her immune system, mobility, eyesight and ability to learn.
Now that a diagnosis has been found for the girl, the local community have rallied round to ensure that she has a great birthday on the 5th of June. They are busy fundraising to gather money for a hot air balloon ride in South Wales and a specialist bike. Bailey Balloons has given a discounted voucher to Kenzie’s family, and the group behind the initiative will be carrying out a number of events, including a band and auction night tomorrow.
Speaking about Kenzie’s condition, mother Sarah said:
“Kenzie was diagnosed with autism in October. It wasn’t nice but we could deal with that as we had always known, because of her progress in school really. It was a bit of a grieving period but we were okay… It is a relief in some ways. At least now we have an answer.”
Anyone who would like to donate can do so by contacting Kenzie’s mother, Sarah Leone Lloyd, via Facebook.
