This article was originally published in Victoria Times Colonist (Oct-13-2026): https://www.timescolonist.com/sponsored/how-one-bc-charity-is-helping-children-communicate-connect-and-thrive-12877171
For 60 years, Variety – the Children’s Charity has been stepping in where healthcare and other support systems cannot, helping B.C. children and youth with complex health needs access the care they need to thrive.
Through its broad range of support programs, Variety meets families where they are, whether that means providing funding for specialized therapies, medical and mobility equipment, education support, mental health counselling, vital assessments or early childhood interventions. For families facing barriers to care, this support can make services possible that might otherwise be out of reach.
Cleo Smith, a seven-year-old from Sooke, is one of the children whose family receives support through Variety. Funding from the charity enables Cleo to access speech and language therapy, giving her greater confidence in communicating with the people around her.
A gap in care becomes an opportunity for support
Cleo’s mom, Rhianna Smith, first noticed a difference in her daughter’s communication when she was expected to begin speaking. While Cleo could say “mama” and “wawa” for water, she relies primarily on simple sign language to communicate.
After Cleo was diagnosed with failure to thrive and admitted to hospital, she was referred to an early intervention program, where she received speech and occupational therapy. While the program provided valuable support and speech improvements, she aged out of the program at five-years-old. Without an official autism diagnosis, Cleo would lose her funding for continued therapy vital for her development.
When her former speech-language pathologist recommended applying to Variety for funding, Smith found relief with the support enabling Cleo to continue accessing speech therapy that her family otherwise could not afford.
“Knowing we were still going to be accessing services with the help of Variety took a huge weight off my shoulders,” says Smith. “Although I could understand Cleo, if she would speak to anyone else, I would have to translate for her.”
The impact reaches far beyond speech
With continued speech therapy, Cleo’s communication becomes clearer, allowing more people in her life to understand her without her mother translating. Her teachers can understand her, and Cleo has become more comfortable initiating conversations with others.
The benefits extend into her relationships and emotional well-being. Cleo can build deeper friendships, tell jokes, share how she is feeling and communicate her needs when she is upset.
When asked what she likes to talk about with her friends, Cleo says: “I like to talk about unique facts, like how the duckbill platypus in Australia has poison spikes on its back ankles.”
For Rhianna, seeing her daughter become more outgoing demonstrates how access to the right support can affect much more than one aspect of a child’s development.
“She has quite the personality and I am so relieved to see her grow more confident and be more clearly understood with the right support,” adds Smith. “My hope for Cleo is that she continues to stand up for what she believes in. I used to wonder if I would ever hear her say ‘I love you’ and now I am so happy to see her be her full self.”
When asked about her hopes for the future, Cleo’s answer is refreshingly straight-forward: “Faster. I want to get faster. And I want to learn about nature.”
Supporting children through Variety Week
Cleo’s story is one of the many family stories featured during Variety Week, a week-long story series running from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 in support of B.C. children and youth with complex health needs, including kids in Vancouver Island communities
During Variety Week, donations will be matched and help Variety continue providing this support to local families. Every contribution helps create access to the services and resources children need to communicate, connect, learn and participate in their communities.
Learn more about how to support local kids like Cleo at variety.bc.ca.