Aria Beales: Day planned to help family adapt home for youngster

The Railway Tavern in Dereham is hosting 'Aria Beales Day' on March 25 - the day after the youngster's sixth birthday - to help her family raise £80,000 for adaptions to her home.

Aria was diagnosed with severe ventriculomegaly and brain damage due to complications during her mum’s, Jenny Madden, pregnancy.

Aria Beales, from North Walsham (Image: Jenny Madden)

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Miss Madden said the family needed to make adaptions to their home including installing a lift and converting the upstairs bathroom into a wet room.  

“To get everything for her would make all of our lives so much better,” Miss Madden said. 

“To make it livable for us, keep her safe, meet her needs, and to make this our home is something we have been dreaming of.”

Jenny Madden (left), Juliet Madden and Aria (middle), and Val Onslow-Clarke (right) outside the Railway Tavern in Dereham (Image: Morgan Rutterford)

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Miss Madden and Aria currently sleep in the front room as it is too dangerous to get her upstairs.

Aria was born with little brain matter and was expected to have a poor quality of life. Her parents were even being advised to terminate the pregnancy, but Miss Madden said this was “not an option.” 

Aria was born prematurely and her conditions stemmed from congenital toxoplasmosis which Miss Madden contracted during pregnancy. 

Aria Beales, from North Walsham (Image: Jenny Madden)

She went through three operations to drain fluids from her brain and to insert a shunt to relieve pressure on the brain.

Aria was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, sensory processing disorder and severe learning difficulties.

The day at the Tavern will include live music, a raffle, tombola and auction prizes.