Little Trooper of the Month

Seven-year-old Evelyn has severe verbal dyspraxia, a rare condition that only affects 0.1% of people and means that she has the comprehension and desire to talk and communicate but lacks the ability to execute sounds, struggles to say her name correctly and easily forgets frequently used words.

Evelyn is highly aware of her challenges and becomes anxious at school and in peer group settings. Because of her disability, she struggles to make friends or get invited to parties. She also finds physical skills challenging, such as bike riding and swimming, as she tires easily from the motor planning requirements of co-ordinated movements.

Alongside coping with her verbal dyspraxia, Evelyn also juggles the challenges that come with being a military child as her Dad serves in the British Armed. The family have moved home twice since Evelyn was born in Germany and last moved to Bristol in 2019. Evelyn’s Dad also regularly works away from home due to military commitments.

Despite these challenges, Evelyn is described by her family as kind, thoughtful, loving, funny and determined. Her days are filled with sound and word practice alongside the same school work as her peers. Through her perseverance, she has learnt how to say sounds, how to blend and how to speak and she is always exploring new ways of making herself understood and methods of communication.

Evelyn’s Mum, Melanie Miles, comments: “Despite not being able to communicate her full feelings, tell a complete story or annoy her brother as much as she would like, Evelyn is such a funny, loving and beautiful person with an incredible sense of calm. She loves rainbows, cars, unicorns and fairies and wants to be an ambulance driver when she grows up.

“She also adores her brother Oscar who is amazing with her. He understands her like no one else and as well as treating her like any sibling, with wrestling matches and name calling, he is her biggest cheerleader and is so patient with her.

“Military life brings adventures and challenges and Evelyn’s verbal dyspraxia has made the whole thing that much harder, but Oscar and Evelyn are a brilliant team and we are super lucky to have them. We are so proud that Evelyn has been named Little Trooper of the Month and we hope it helps raise aware of verbal dyspraxia and its challenges.”

Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, comments: “Our Little Trooper of the Month award scheme is all about recognising military children who have been inspirational and exceptionally brave against all the odds and Evelyn is just that. We are amazed at the determination she shows when it comes to communicating and we are so pleased to hear that she has a brilliant big brother by her side, cheering her on every day. We hope this award and medal helps her to see just how special she really is and how she makes her family proud.”