By Bronwyn Hastings

Horsham five-year-old Eden Morrison loves to play, dance and sing, and like so many other kindergarten graduates at this time of year, is excited at the prospect of starting school.

But unlike most children her age, Eden has several health concerns which require treatment in Melbourne, including eye conditions exotropia and amblyopia, that will cause her to miss several school days.

Eden’s mother Danielle Watts said Eden had surgery for the conditions, in layman’s terms, misaligned and ‘lazy eye’ respectively.

“She had surgery for the amblyopia last year, but it didn’t work,” she said.

“We’re trying to save her eyesight as well as correct the muscles, so we’re back and forth to Melbourne a lot.”

Eden also has global developmental delay, epilepsy, ADHD, borderline cleft palate, and a sensory processing disorder.

Ms Watts said Eden had a team of five specialist doctors – four in Melbourne, one in Horsham – for craniofacial, maxillofacial, neurology, orthoptics, ophthalmology, respiratory, and ENT, as well as doctors at three eye clinics. 

“She’s got quite a bit going on,” she said.

“But she’s full of energy and is just the quirkiest, rare, ball of life. 

“You can’t not be happy when you’re around her. 

“She’s so loving, so caring. She’s always smiling, she’s just so cheeky.

“It doesn’t stop her.”

Like the beginning of her kindergarten year, Eden will miss the first few days of prep at Ss Michael and John’s Primary School owing to appointments for her eyes, before surgery and more appointments for an electroencephalogram, EEG, and a sleep study.

“She’s been having night seizures or disturbances, so she’s got to go back for a sleep-deprived EEG, and overnight EEG, and then a four-day sleep study,” Ms Watts said.

“She missed a lot of kinder, but she has worked hard and gotten through so much and has really caught up to be able to start school.”

Among her specialists, Eden has an occupational therapist who worked alongside a preschool field officer last year in her lead-up to school.

Ms Watts said school staff had also been accommodating of Eden’s needs.

“Ss Michael and John’s is just a brilliant school, the teachers are so caring, and anything to do with Eden, they’ve just taken it head-on and made changes for her,” she said.

“She went in half an hour earlier for most transitions, because she found it too noisy, it was too overwhelming, so she just shut down. 

“But during that early half hour and meeting her buddy, she really settled in.”

Ms Watts said Eden loved to dance and participated in a range of sports such as gymnastics, little athletics and basketball to help with her gross motor skills. 

“The poor girl has gone through so much, and she wears an eye patch daily at the moment, which she is self-conscious about,” she said.

“It’s been a hard road, she rarely goes a week without an appointment, but it is what it is.

“Despite everything, she’s still just so positive and happy, and so resilient. 

“She’s worked so hard and gotten through so much. 

“But the credit is all on her.”

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