Alex Warner-Smith has overcome numerous obstacles in their young life and thanks to help from Variety, they can now learn while feeling they belong.
Growing up, they were diagnosed with FASD, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, dyspraxia and ADHD.
Once in high school, learning became harder for Warner-Smith when they discovered their identity and were socially excluded.
"In elementary school, we had COVID towards the end there," mom Jennifer Warner told the NOW.
"I had already noticed that their mood was kind of going down. They kind of started seeming withdrawn a bit and I didn't realize how much COVID impacted them and they were so excited when they got to high school.
"Everything was supposed to be set up and put into place for them and it turned out that nothing had really been. After the first week, it was just a steady downhill from there."
She adds an education assistant at the school, who connected with Warner-Smith, suggested Whytecliff Agile Learning Centre.
"We looked into a few different places and I kept coming back to that one," she explained.
Warner was worried about how the family would be able to afford the school but decided to check it out anyways.
"Almost immediately, they [Warner-Smith] had this big smile on their face and they were like, 'Oh my God, I'm going here.'"
Whytecliff told the family that funding was available from different places, including Variety.
"We were like 'OK, let's try and do this.'"
After contacting Variety, the charity was able to provide Warner-Smith with a tuition bursary.
"I've made a lot of new friends," said Warner-Smith.
Without Variety's help, things wouldn't have changed, said the mother.
"With Variety's help, it was huge. They wouldn't be able to go to the school if it wasn't for their assistance.
"We went from one high school where I was like, 'Please, I want my kid to be alive at the end of this year.' I don't care about marks, I don't care about things like that... I care about social stuff and their mental health.
"I just wanted them to be happy."
Warner-Smith's story will be featured during the 2023 Variety Show of Hearts Telethon, which will air on Feb. 26 from 1 to 5:30 p.m.
“Families across our province are struggling and we continue to see record-breaking numbers of families requesting support and specialized care," Variety BC CEO Andrea Tang said in a news release.
"The essential programs and resources that Variety donors help to support transform daily realities for children and can change the trajectory of their future.
“We have never been more grateful to our supporters and are more determined than ever to see the day when every child can fulfil their hopes and dreams and live life without limits.”
Since 2010, Variety has distributed more than $40 million in funding to families and communities across B.C.
