Cleonee Swanson
Age: 15
School: Fraser High School
Poor families suffer from the rising costs of living. Everything costs more, but they aren't making the income to keep up. Poor families with children born with life-long illnesses suffer more than most. Layla Swanson was born five years ago with Short Gut Syndrome - a non-lethal condition that nonetheless requires constant care and frequent hospital trips.
Cleonee Swanson has helped to share in the care for her sister. She has spent many weekends sitting next to a hospital bed while her peers are outside playing sport. Her father passed away two years ago due to liver problems after a lifetime of alcohol dependency. Cleonee said that for most of her life she has been bullied and excluded by her peers because of her life situation. She has suffered and gone without while her family struggles to stay afloat.
Despite the hardships she has suffered, Cleonee loves to dance and sing and wishes to play netball with her friends. She enjoys performing and would like to engage more in these activities, but with her mother on a single benefit income and forced to stay home to provide care for Layla, these opportunities are currently outside of her reach.
The WaterBoy would like to help to provide Cleonee with the opportunity to participate in sport. With such an opportunity can come confidence, growth, and the ability to set and achieve goals. This is a young person who wants to grow up to assist young people for a career, a sponsor stepping into her life at this time would be a great role model.
Location: Hamilton
Sport: Dance, Netball
Barrier: Financial