A New Appeal for Alice

Keeping Our Little Warrior on the Move

Many Tomorrow readers are already familiar with the story of Alice, a brave young girl from Vila do Bispo who is battling Rett Syndrome. In the past, the Tomorrow charity, TACT, has donated funds to support her therapies, helping Alice improve her social skills, balance and walking. However, as Alice grows, new challenges have emerged, and her devoted mother, Salomé, needs our help once again to secure a vital necessity: an adapted car.

Salomé describes Alice, who will turn nine this April, as a “true little warrior”. Although she was born healthy, her symptoms started at around 18 months, resulting in her losing her ability to speak and use her hands. While she continues to push through daily therapies to slow the progress of the condition, she is becoming taller and heavier. Salomé, a single mother and Alice’s primary carer, is currently struggling with the physical demands of transport.

Alice has become increasingly hypotonic, suffering from a lack of muscle strength, which forces Salomé to physically lift her in and out of their current car seat multiple times a day. With a daily commute of 60 km for school and therapy, plus longer trips to Lisbon for medical appointments, the current situation is unsustainable.

Salomé explains, “She hardly has any room for her legs anymore … I need to take the wheelchair apart to put it in the trunk, as many times as we need to get in and out of the car.”

We are asking our generous community to help Salomé fund an adapted vehicle that accommodates a wheelchair. This will ensure Alice can continue attending the physiotherapy and hydrotherapy she desperately needs to combat spinal deterioration.

Alice “has the sweetest smile in the world”, and she feels everything. Let’s come together to give her the mobility she deserves.