Romilly is a beautiful 25-year-old young woman who is a much-loved daughter, sister, grand-daughter, cousin, niece, and best friend to her cats, Gertie and Roxy, as well as the family dogs, chooks, and pink & grey galah. Romilly lives with us, her parents Kerrian and Russell, in the Mundaring hills.
As well as being a wonderful young woman, Romilly lives with a very rare and moderate condition known as ‘Ring Chromosome 22’. Ring Chromosome 22 is typically characterised by having an intellectual disability associated with low muscle tone and poor motor coordination, that can include an unsteady walking gait. Some individuals may also have severe delays in speech and language comprehension with difficulty concentrating and social withdrawal. Romilly attended the Eastern Hills Senior High School Education Support Unit for five years and in her 18th year, it was time for us to look at what options were available to her after school.
We came across Crosslinks at what was then called the Disability Post School Options Expo, where agencies who provided skill development activities were pedalling their wares. One of the Crosslinks staff had been an Education Support Officer at Romilly’s primary school and knew her, which we saw as a positive. We wanted what was best for Romilly and Crosslinks offered what we thought would meet Romilly’s best interests.
In the seven years Romilly has been with Crosslinks, she has grown in many areas, especially in her acceptance of change and of approaching people around her. She is more aware that she has money in her purse, even though she is not aware of its value. Romilly loves being a member of the Crosslinks RAP (Recreate & Participate) Social Club, where she meets up with friends and does socially inclusive activities. Since Romilly has been at Crosslinks, she has had amazing Support Workers involved on her journey in life, and we appreciate all the effort involved in continuing this into the future.
There are many things that Romilly likes but the one that stands out above all the rest, is her love of live stage productions and musicals. She also really enjoys swimming and trampolining, which are great exercises for her to be involved in. To name something Romilly dislikes, it would have to be ball sports of all kinds.
Often when Romy and I are out and about in the community, we come across people she has met through her volunteer program at the History Village in Kalamunda. This is really wonderful for us because we know that she is appreciated and accepted.
Looking to the future, we are aware that the time will come when Romilly will need to move out of her loving home environment and into some form of shared space. We would like her to be able to have her pets and for there to be whatever support is necessary for her to live the best and most fulfilling life she can. She will always have family members there for her, looking out for her best interests and supporting her through life.
Kerrian and Russell (Parents)