Ellie P

Age 9

Little Havens Children's Hospice

"Gus and Me"

Ellie is nine years old. She has a condition called spinal muscular atrophy type 2, which is a muscle wasting condition caused by a breakdown in messages between the nerves in the spinal cord and the muscles, resulting in them becoming weak. Ellie has been visiting Little Havens since 2007.

Ellie said: "I have chosen Gus the dog as my hero. I used to be really scared of dogs and couldn't go near them. I didn't like it if they licked me or jumped up.

"When I'm older I would like an assistance dog which is trained to work with people with disabilities like me, so I knew I would have to try to like dogs. Gus visits Little Havens and the care team arranged for me to meet him.

"I took Gus for a walk around the garden at Little Havens and fed him treats. Gus always wears a bandana in different colours. I think he is a Tibetan prayer dog. I really like dogs now and my mum and dad have said we can get a family dog this year.

"It took me about five hours to do my painting because I spent some time thinking and sketching ideas before I started to paint. The windows at the top show me feeding Gus, taking him for a walk and the middle one is me being happy because that's how he makes me feel."

Mum Kim says: "Ellie was terrified of dogs. She would shake and sweat even if she saw one in the street. She has fragile bones that can break easily and this is one of the reasons she has been so wary of dogs. If a dog was to jump up or even put their paws on her it could cause a fracture.

"Ellie was determined to overcome this fear and we are all really proud of her. It's touching that she has chosen Gus as her hero." 

Please note this case study (images and copy) must not be used or replicated in any other form without prior consent from Children's Hospices UK.

This artwork is on canvas and measures 300mm wide, by 300mm high, by 35mm deep.