SMALL STEPS BIG DREAMS Only a few steps can fulfill Paulas big dream. - With your help.
Romy's diary
IMPRESSONS
Fourth day, final 40km 🥳 Today was tremendous! The weather was supposed to be 23° and cloudy, but it turned into a furnace during the day 🥵 The spectators were amazing, providing drinks and hosing the walkers down! Unfortunately, I tripped and hurt my knee, and was limping most part of the way 😢 But I was determined with the goal in mind 💪
Reaching the Via Gladiola, the last 2,5km felt like a dream. The cheering and clapping and congratulations and gladiolas –
I shed more than one tear of emotion 🥹Thank you so much for donating and spreading the word 🥰 We collected more than €1.800 in just 4 days – what an incredible achievement 🥳 It has been a marvellous journey and you all were a part of it!
Paulas Story
This is Romy – a friend of Paula and her family. I decided to walk the 4daagse in Holland in order to fulfill a dream for my little Paula.
Despite the fact that she is a wonderful and powerful little girl, it breaks my heart to see her being excluded from so many normal things in life. That is why i ask you to join me in donating any amount to make sure little Paula makes a big step towards a normal life. If you cannot help directly – of course sharing this activity with everyone is also a big help.
Together we can do it. Its just a SMALL STEP for us – but a BIG DREAM for Paula.
Paulas Dream
For a little girl, some dreams are beautifully simple. Anna’s biggest wish isn’t for a faraway castle or a trip to the moon; it’s for the feeling of wind in her hair as she pedals alongside the people she loves. Because of SMA, the simple joy of riding a bike, something most of us take for granted, is a world away. She has to watch from the sidelines as her friends laugh and race to the corner for ice cream, or as our family prepares for a bike ride she can’t join. This isn’t just a missed activity; it’s a heartbreaking gap between her and the childhood experiences that build friendships and family memories. A specially adapted tricycle is more than just metal and wheels; for Anna, it’s freedom. It’s the key that unlocks her ability to chase her friends, to feel the pride of keeping up with her family, and to be right in the middle of the fun instead of just watching it happen. You can help us give her not just a bike, but a ticket to a normal, joy-filled childhood.
Impressions
Paulas Disease
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 is a severe neuromuscular disease rooted in a single genetic flaw. The SMN1 gene, a critical piece of code for human life, is defective in Paula’s body, preventing the production of a protein that motor neurons need to live. Without it, these nerve cells in her spinal cord, which command all voluntary muscles, are undergoing a rapid and relentless degeneration. As these cells die, the pathways between Paula’s brain and muscles are systematically destroyed, leading to catastrophic muscle atrophy that erases her ability to move, swallow, and breathe. The prognosis for this disease course is brutal. Left untreated, SMA Type 1 is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality, with most children not surviving past their second birthday due to respiratory failure.
Friends of Paula
