Abby’s Bali Journeys

And just like that another school year over. Can’t believe Abby will be sweet 16 next year.

Home on the Saturday and straight Into intensive therapy at Napa. 4 hours a day 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Speech it physio and spider cage each day. It makes Abby very tired. But great for her. We do this twice a year. Next one is April

Had a great trip home on the 18th Abby slept the whole way

Not long till we go home now. Will be back very soon.

And we are OFF!!
Hope you enjoy our next adventure.
Goodbye Melbourne !!!

5 sleeps and we are back in our happy place. Looking forward to more adventures
Always remember never put limits on what you want to do. Everything is possible

We have just reached 300 followers! Thank you everyone for following Abby’s adventures. I could never have made it without each and every one of you. Can’t wait to share more Bali adventures next week🙏🤗🎉

Great day at the show today. Even had a show bag brought for her by a stranger. Some people melt my heart. Now a night in the city.

Very exciting news. Abby’s big sister Tahlia and her friend Summah will be coming to Bali with us next month. Cant wait.

Park
Fun on the trampoline

Loving her new room at nanny and opas

Small production at school today.

Braids out tonight. Will definitely get this style again. We tried many different ones and they didn’t last.

Bad cold and eye infection. Been home a week. On the mend now. But now I have her eye infection.

We are back in cold Melbourne for now lol
Some pics of our last days. I even tried a 8 hand massage for the first time. Fist time for the salon. Miss Abby had a leg massage. New shoes at two bobs. Hi to our friends that we walk past all the time at the ink factor and the trip home that was very close to disaster after a huge poo explosion just before going to the airport. Lol

I did a interview for another page. Thought I would share it here

THE INTERVIEW SERIES - Q & A (8)

As we mentioned in an earlier post, we are conducting interviews based on personal experiences while Travelling to Bali with Special Needs. Together, we can share our stories and learn from one another. It doesn't matter how many times we travel to Bali, we always discover new places and have different experiences.

Because every traveller goes about things differently and has unique dynamics within their families, we thought best to tailor the questions to each individual traveller.

Our interview today is with Niki Harrison. Niki and her daughter, Abby, are frequent Bali travellers (currently in Bali) and share a passion for the island 🌴🏖️ Abby’s Bali Journeys

So here we go!

(Q) Do you or any family members have special needs, and do you require a wheelchair to get around?

(A) My daughter Abby does and she is 15. And requires a wheelchair and full assistance in daily life.

(Q) What is Abby’s disability?

(A) Abby has a gene deletion disorder called USP9X. Also a under developed corpus Callosum. She doesn’t walk or talk.

(Q) Have you travelled anywhere else with special needs - before visiting Bali?

(A) No Bali is our happy place

(Q) What is your favourite area in Bali?

(A) Lovina

(Q) Did you encounter any access difficulties while travelling in Bali?

(A) Lots of ramps but steep. Footpaths are challenging but I’m used to them now. The Balinese are happy to help all the time and Bali Wheelchair Travel and Tours having a ramp in their car to get Abby in is great.


(Q) Do you require wheelchair accessible transport in Bali?

(A) Sometimes I use Bali wheelchair but otherwise we lift Abby into the car and get a car that fits the chair in the boot

(Q) Do you require wheelchair access or any other specialised accommodation while in Bali, if so, where did you stay and was the housing adequate?

(A) In legian I used to stay at the paradiso in the suite room. Huge open shower and they put a ramp at the front to get up the steps.
I stay at lovina way in lovina. He also made a ramp for us.
I have a Villa for a year in seminyak that has only one step. And open shower.
I’m currently in a great villa in lovina only 2 steps in the place on the ground level.


(Q) Did you have any assistance while travelling in Bali?

(A) I have a support worker and also 2 amazing Nannie’s

(Q) Was the flight to Bali event free for your particular needs, did you receive appropriate assistance?

(A) Always have wonderful assistance no trouble traveling with Abby and myself alone.

(Q) Were you able to get out and explore all that Bali has to offer with your particular needs, and if so, what was your favourite attraction?

(A) Abby has had a great time jet skiing in nusa dua and going out on the boats in lovina

(Q) Was it accessible with the wheelchair?

(A) Everything is possible. The Balinese help always

(A) How did you go navigating the pavements around the streets of Bali, were some areas better than others?

(A) There is a new path along the beach in Kuta legian seminyak which is amazing. But at the end there are 6 steps lol.
I have learnt to navigate.

(Q) Did you tap into any Balinese disability service providers before or during your trip?

(A) Only Bali wheelchair travel for equipment hire and transport

(Q) Overall, did you enjoy your holiday to Bali with your individual needs?

(A) Abby is so happy in Bali. We travel here a lot. And will continue to.

(Q) What were the highlights of your trip?

(A) Everything is amazing always

(Q) Can you share any negative experiences?

(A) Trans mall studio I went to go to take Abby to ifly and they rejected her. Which was disappointing.

(Q) Are you an NDIS participant? If so, were you able to access any assistance through the NDIS? (for Australian nationals only)

(A) Yes my nanny is from a company so I get an invoice and I claim it on ndis.
At legian paradiso if I needed a normal room it is one price the suite is more so I claimed the difference. Also I need a bigger car when doing tours so I claim the difference.

(Q) Are you planning on revisiting Bali in the future?

(A) I come all the time. Abby is never unwell while we are here. As soon as we get back to Australia she gets sick

(Q) Would you recommend/encourage other families with special needs children/adults to holiday in Bali?

(A) Totally. I post a lot on social media to encourage others to do so. Abby also has her own page now. And get many messages from people for advice. Abby is famous lol

(Q) Lastly, has it ever crossed your mind that you’d like to move the family abroad and live in Bali?

(A) Every minute of every day. But circumstances don’t allow this.

Thank you so much, Niki & Abby, for allowing us to interview you & gain insights into your life & travels to Bali 🙏 We wish you both all the very best for the future & keep on winging it 😆🏝️🌴

We invite all our group members to put up their hands & get involved with the interview series. Give us a hoy! 👍🙏👌

END

You can see & read more about Abby’s Bali journeys here Abby’s Bali Journeys

Chillin at lovina beach

Abby attended a ceremony and some smiles

Krisna in lovina

We are back in Lovina and Abby is back with her other special nanny Ayu and her girl
Putu.

Always busy busy

Abby loves to take everyone’s glasses. Lol

Massage today at Angelina spa legian

So happy in Bali

A little story I thought I would share with you all that Abby’s sister TahlIa wrote 10 years ago when she was 12

please take the time to read my TRUE story about my sister abby.

My dream come true!

When I was five I saved up some coins so I could throw them into a wishing fountain, and every time I wished for the same thing, a baby sister. Not long after that I was sat down on mum and dads bed with my brother, Brodie to be informed that mum was pregnant. I was so excited but my wish hadn't come true yet. I wanted it to be a girl so bad. I took every day as it came, just waiting for the one where mum picked me up and told me it was going to be a baby girl. My wish came true. I was so happy that I would finally have someone to play dolls with and someone's hair I could do. As mums tummy grew bigger and bigger I became even more excited each day. But little did I know that it wasn't all going to be perfect and happy. When I was 7 the day came for my sister to come into the world I went to my nans. There with me was my 2 cousins Ben and Connor and my brother. There was lots of whispering. I was getting worried. Could my dream not be true? Has something gone wrong? I couldn't take it. Everyone was being so quite around me and very secretive. So I went and sat on my nans knee and said, nan what's going on? My Nan told me that something was wrong with my sister. I was so confused and young. I started balling my eyes out. I was asking so many questions. My Nan told me that she may not make it. I cuddled Nan and hoped she would be ok. All I could think about was why I was the only one hat didn't know something was up. My Nan was waiting by the phone just waiting for it to ring and mum to say she's ok. After 3 days I finally got to go to the city to meet my little sister. I wanted to hold her so bad and tell her that she would be ok. But I wasn't allowed to old her until she was 5 days old. When I got to hold her she looked so peaceful. All the other baby's in the ward she was in were screaming and crying but Abby was so quiet and peaceful. Mum and dad stayed at the Ronald McDonald house near the royal children's hospital for 28 days.
After 28 days she finally got to come home. I was so excited that she finally got to come home so we could be a normal family. But I was wrong. Mum was having to go into the hospital in the city with Abby 2 times every week. Until she was about two, then it was once a week. I was going with mum when I could to the hospital but it got to upsetting. So now I don’t go. There was little kids in the hospital fighting cancer and lots of kids dealing with different issues.
I remember when Abby was 3 I went with her to the doctors to get a blood test and she wasn’t happy. I don’t like seeing her sad so I started crying. Then about a month ago I went to the doctors to get a needle and I wasn’t too happy about it but then I thought of how many needles Abby has had to get and I felt fine.
Abby is now 5 and it’s amazing how many people care about her.
About a year ago Abby made a little friend. His name is Ashton and he has the agenesis of the corpus callosum just like Abby does. Ashton is a year younger than Abby and is making a bit more progress than her.
Mum, Ashtons mum, Sarah and some other ladies just recently made a group called ausdocc. All of the ladies in the group have children with the corpus callosum issue.
Abby makes more progresses each day. But unfortunately she forgets easy and sometimes doesn’t do things that she was doing a month ago. For example if you tell her to clap hands sometimes she does it and sometimes she has forgotten.
When mum first told me she was going to have another baby I was imagining playing dolls with her or doing her hair and make up for graduation. Although I won’t get to do that with her cause she won’t stay still and she has no interest in dolls, we still manage to have a bucket load of fun together. I make videos with Abby and I read her books, I tell her how much I love her, hoping she loves me to, I share my stories, hoping she is aware, and I try be there for her no matter what.
Mum has a lot to deal with. Like Abby not being helpful or kicking her in the face. Then theres everything else like changing her nappy or carrying her from one room to another. I try my best to help out as much as I can so mum can have a brake.
If I could say thank you to anyone people would expect me to say it to the doctors and nurses that saved her, but I say thanks to Abby for not giving up on us and herself. I am very thankful to the doctors though.
Abby is my dream come true and I love her no matter what.
Ps… normal is boring, no one likes boring …

Welcome to Abby’s new followers. I hope everyone is enjoying her adventures. So much love here with h her lovina nanny’s daughter Putu