Blinkies UK Limited

We were working in the Concourse of the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff, fund raising for Cystic Fibrosis 'better life' Appeal. when a lady brought her 5 year old girl Sarah to our stall. The mother told Sarah that she could chose a blinky as she had been a good girl with the doctors. Sarah had beautiful long blond hair, a very pale complexion and was paper thin.
While she was looking, the mother told my partner Dennis that they had been coming to the hospital for 18 months as Sarah would not eat. They were about to admit her to drip feed her.
Sarah chose the Princess Necklace, but Dennis said that she could not have that one as it was special and the Princesses wore it when they ate their banquets and as mommy said that she didn't eat, he couldn't let her have it. Sarah started to cry and the mother looked as if she was about to kill him.
Anyway, Dennis and the little girl made a pact, that if she didn't eat she would have to bring the necklace back on her next appointment. He and Sarah shook hands and they left.
Three weeks later they came in again. The mother beaming and Sarah with rosy cheeks. Mum bought more necklaces and spare batteries.
When they got home Sarah asked for some food so she could wear her necklace. She wanted to see the necklace flashing so mum put a mirror in front of her. At first she just picked a few pieces and pushed the food around her plate, but by the time they came for their next appointment she was sitting down and eating meals with the family, just as long as she could wear her Princess Necklace.

One day when we were working in the Concourse, a mother bought a Rainbow Spinner for her 3 year old daughter.
The next morning a young man was waiting for us to set up our stall. He wanted another Rainbow Spinner.
He told us that the reason they were in the hospital was that their 7 month old son had not responded to anything since the day he was born. It was as though he was deaf, blind and dumb.
On the afternoon before, the little girl had been playing with her Rainbow Spinner by the side of the baby's cot. He reached out for it. The little girl let him hold it and low and behold he started to giggle and respond. The man was crying when he told us. The Rainbow Spinner had somehow managed to reach through to the child and he continues to show progress.

This is the same kind of story as the one above, but this child was 2 years of age. His mother bought a Smiley Face Spinner from our stall at the hospital. The little boy had not responded to anything since the day he was born. When given the Rainbow Spinner he giggled and put it to his face. Since that moment he has been touching everything and is shown signs of improvement.
The reason I know of this story is that the grand mother came to the Eisteddfod in Cardiff hoping that Blinkies UK would be there. She was so pleased and bought another two spinners and this time she took our business card!

Again at the Concourse we met a couple in their mid eighties. They had their daughter with them. She was in a wheelchair and had a mental age of about two.
They stopped to talk to us and told us that they were very worried as to what would happen to her when they were gone. I let them talk to Dennis and I went and sat on the floor next to her wheelchair. I was wearing the Acrylic Heart around my neck. She reached out to touch it so I took it off and gave it to her. She started to laugh. The parents started to cry and they told us it was the first time that they had ever seen her laugh.