Dana Leona may not speak many words but she has so much to say and does much of it with her eyes.
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For those who take the time to listen and get to know her a little they quickly discover something very special about this young woman with so many other gifts.
Among them is love. She has so much of it that all she sees is good in the world. One meaning for the name Dana is power. And given the chance she makes an enormous impact wherever she goes.
Not everyone is understanding but she always remains positive. And with a “life is what you make it” attitude she resonates with many people as well as all creatures great and small.
That was clear for all to see when Dana was taken on an adventure this week after returning to Australia to live but spending weeks in hospital.
Her first stop at Darkes Forest Riding Ranch on Monday saw two white horses come up and simultaneously kiss her on the forehead and hand. Everywhere she went people and members of the animal kingdom responded. Everyone who took the time to get to know Dana a little better felt peace.
Symbio Wildlife Park owner John Radnidge was so taken with the young woman he didn’t want to leave her side and virtually introduced her to every animal in the wildlife park.
Dana, 24, helps people relax and feel at ease. And she loved that Mr Radnidge treated her like the intelligent adult she is. She wanted to learn and loved how Mr Radnidge told her about every animal and what the family run zoo at Helensburgh zoo is doing to try do to save more endangered species.
She was impressed by the holistic approach taken at Symbio in recycling water and waste, generating solar power, growing food for the animals and its involvement in international breeding programs to ensure species survival.
Dana loved hearing about the Radnidge family’s commitment and passion and the way it is trying to help save as many animals as possible from extinction, rescue those in need and provide a retirement home to help others live a longer happy life.
She was particularly taken with Mr Radnidge’s comment “when I finally leave this world I want it to leave it better than what I found it”.
Dana finds it hard to speak and move but wishes she could be an ambassador (a voice) for saving wildlife. After watching the tigers being fed and listening to zookeeper Kylie Elliott speak she gave her a big smile when Mr Radnidge introduced them.
Dana also loves adventure and enjoyed a trike ride to Bald Hill and Sea Cliff Bridge so much with Steve Melchior, of Just Cruisin Harley Tours, she didn’t want it to end. She told her mum she would have happily ridden with the wind in her face all day and hopes she can some time. She felt free and mobile, had fun and made many new understanding friends who did not treat her differently or like a child.
Mum Delene Kay said after many weeks in hospital it was the perfect day where Dana got to meet many kind hearted people. But just three days later she was refused entry and asked to wait outside a Wollongong shop. Ms Kay whispered her to sleep that night reminding her of all the good things she did and people she met. Dana loved being treated like the nice, kind, caring, loving person she is. Her condition is so rare she never met another person with Rett before living in the USA.
Dana Leona is a young woman who finds it hard to move or speak. But she is an intelligent person who wants to enjoy what many of us take for granted. What Dana loves most is having the opportunity to learn and be treated as an adult. She has a rare condition known as Rett Syndrome but has determination, drive and positive attitude towards life.
She loves adventure. But her mother Delene Kay has devoted her life to being her full-time carer and they have no car. The buggy she uses to get around cannot fold up and has no brakes or steering. But they manage the best they can. It takes them more than an hour to walk to the supermarket for groceries and then they are limited to what they can carry. But what they have in common is a positive outlook and get by without asking for help.
When the Illawarra Mercury saw a Facebook post of Dana talking to sheep through a fence recently it approached Ms Kay to ask if she would like to see more animals. Symbio Wildlife Park, Darkes Forest Riding Ranch and Just Cruisin’ Harley Tours helped organise a day and everyone accepted Dana as the beautiful person she is.
That was in stark contrast to the next day when Dana was asked to wait outside when her mother was trying to buy a coffee. “I’ll never forget the look on Dana’s face,” Ms Kay said.
Dana was born in Wollongong but by her first birthday her family knew something was different. But her mum says everyone is different and sees her daughter as very special. “I feel blessed to have her in my life,” she said.
It took a while to work out what rare condition Dana had and the search for better care led them to move to the United States for seven years. Dana recently returned home to Wollongong only to have a seizure and spend the first few weeks in hospital where she also developed pneumonia, which is often fatal to people with Rett. Two days after being released she had a seizure in the night and broke a leg. She has also been having dystonia muscular spasms which are similar to what someone with Parkinson’s experiences when they shake. It is all accompanied by excruciating pain. But despite everything Dana doesn’t complain. She just wants to get out and do more things and meet more people. She has many abilities and wants to interact, share and contribute. And she knows so much.
“People with Rett Syndrome experience intense pain but don’t show it. She is a fighter and a survivor. She is here for a reason and she has a lot of work she wants to do. I always feel like I am here as her conduit and we are here to help others and bring joy and love and understanding to others,” Ms Kay said.
Dana empowers people she meets. But having said that Ms Kay said they could not have got by without the help of some very kind people when they first arrived back in Australia and Dana got sick.
But in Helensburgh they both felt blessed to meet lovely people. Dana loved the way Symbio owner John Radnidge provided her with so much information. “When he was making jokes while she was watching the tigers being fed she was laughing. She had a great day. They treated her with respect. That is what many people don’t get. We all have differences. A disability should not be a focus. Neither should our differences.”