Annalie’s childhood has looked very different from most 9 year old girls. Annalie was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Glioma, which is a slow growing brain tumour along her nerves that was causing her to lose her vision. In 2024, she had to begin chemotherapy, with her family taking weekly trips to Crumlin Children’s hospital for treatment.
Over the course of the next 72 weeks, Annalie would spend long evenings undergoing treatment in Crumlin, missing out on the everyday joys of childhood. But it was one evening during treatment that her Oncologist told her all about Make-A-Wish Ireland. Annalie’s face lit up when she thought of all the possibilities of her wish, and after much deliberation, Annalie finally settled on having her very own Irish dancing dress.
Her favourite thing to do in the world is to compete in Irish Dancing, and she is a proud member of the Wexford Academy Of Irish Dancing. She told us that she has been competing for more than four years now, and more than anything she wanted her very own dress for upcoming Feis’.
We contacted our friends at Elite Dance Designs who helped us to create the perfect dress for Annalie! To start the creative process, Annalie met online with the design team and shared her vision of her dress including her favourite colours and details. Anthony from the design team met with Annalie for her dress fitting in their studio. They then got underway designing the perfect dress, just for her!
When her wish day finally arrived, Annalie, along with her mum Amy, dad Brian and her two little sisters, Grace and Erin all travelled to the Stormont hotel in Belfast. From there, they went to collect Annalie’s new dress!
To complete the ensemble, the team arranged for Annalie to have her hair and makeup done , getting her very own photo shoot modelling the new dress!
Her mum told us that “Annalie felt so special throughout the day!”
Annalie’s dancing season kicks off in September, and so her dress arrived just in time!
Happy Dancing Annalie!
