Having been left out, left behind and hurt by classmates and friends when she
could no longer walk, Olivia wrote this song – “Invisible” – to express her
feelings and reclaim her voice. She wrote the last verse at the Royal Children's
Hospital during her three-week admission for rehabilitation at the Royal
Children's Hospital. It was very successful: she got out of her wheelchair and
began using a walking frame and is now walking again. She has recovered, but
still has a way to go.
Olivia Rose Di Grazia is 12 years old. In 2011 she was looking forward to what
she believed would be the best year of her life. She was starting at a new
school, Ivanhoe Girls Grammar (IGGS); she was playing on the Under 12 girls
basketball team, the Eltham Wildcats, in the Victorian Championship league; she
was a key player on her undefeated Under 11 soccer team; and at the age of 10,
she had advanced to the Intermediate Company at the Children’s Performing
Company of Australia (CPCA). All of that changed on February 14th 2011: she was
diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis four months before her 11th birthday.
Olivia spent a week at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne
Australia. While admitted, she was put on steroids and medication to help
control her flare. Unfortunately, she did not respond to the treatment and was
readmitted for over a month. Doctors worked really hard to manage Olivia’s
condition with standard treatments, but had to give her very strong autoimmune
drugs to get her symptoms under control.
Olivia was most sad and disappointed because she had to miss out on
playing basketball (and missed the Total Girl Soccer tournament that she had
attended for years). Time passed and her condition was now under control; the
medication and steroids took its toll on Olivia, but she showed her
determination by returning to her basketball team and filling in on her soccer
team despite putting on 30kg of fluid/weight gain from the high-dosed steroids
she was taking. This was a very difficult time for her: taking medication that
made her feel nauseated all the time; a lesser fitness level due to the steroids
and weight gain; body changes and the insecurity that came with it (stretch
marks from sudden weight gain); and most of all, knowing that her condition was
chronic.
She was optimistic that things could only get better and that 2012 was
going to be a better year. Olivia started out 2012 feeling well: excited to get
back to the things she loves. She was playing Championship basketball again,
performing with CPCA, and looking forward to playing soccer for the Eltham
Redbacks. And, of course, she was over the moon that she was going to play in
the Total Girl soccer tournament once again. March 23 2012, Olivia got her
braces off and she was looking and feeling the best she had since her diagnosis,
so off to Ballarat for the Total Girl Soccer tournament it was. Her team won the
U13 division, playing with the minimum of seven players (most only 11 years
old). She injured her ankle from a hard kick, but overall was feeling great.
She was ready for her new soccer club, but during her first training back,
she complained of knee pain. She began having a bit of a flare of her Ulcerative
Colitis and was put on steroids again which seemed to control the symptoms. What
started out as Knee pain (which we thought could just be growth pain) turned
into hip pain, then shoulder pain, and then severe ankle pain.
From April 2012 to October 2012, Olivia endured four trips to the RCH
emergency room and three hospitalizations. Additionally, she had two blood
transfusions, two colonoscopies, many doctor appointments, a lot of blood work,
various tests, and lots of pain and medications. For her 12th birthday in June,
Olivia asked for a wheelchair: walking (which she had been attempting on
crutches) had become far too difficult due to the severity of the pain.
Olivia was diagnosed with Arthritis related to her Ulcerative
Colitis/Crohn’s disease.Olivia went from being a very active, athletic girl to
using a wheelchair, and – again, because of steroids and immobility – became
even more swollen and gained even more weight. She was so sad missing out on all
the things she loves. She missed her friends and was deeply hurt she was being
treated differently: like she didn’t even exist.
Because of Olivia’s love of singing, her parents encouraged her to write
her feelings down and try turn them into a song. INVISIBLE was written by Olivia
during her admission in July, with the final verse completed while she was
undertaking rehabilitation at the Royal Children’s Hospital to get her out of
the wheelchair and walking once again.
Olivia was shown a few chords on the guitar by her singing teacher Maria
Pelicano (Sing Out Music School), and a few more chords by a Music Therapy
student at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and off she went singing it to many at
the Royal Children’s Hospital (including her Rehab team). Upon returning to
Ivanhoe Girls Grammar, Olivia sang her song to her music teacher, the very
talented Mr. Christopher Cox. Mr. Cox then, on his own time, generously arranged
a backing track for Olivia’s song (playing all the instruments).
Olivia and Mr. Cox recorded INVISIBLE at Ivanhoe Girls Grammar
School.Olivia’s song was available on iTunes, and all of the proceeds were
donated to the RCH GOOD FRIDAY APPEAL. Olivia has shared her song with many
parents and children who suffer from illnesses and/or bullying, and many have
said it’s like Olivia is inside their heads – expressing exactly how they feel –
in song.
Olivia - On the Channel 7 Good Friday Appeal
Olivia as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother - Ivanhoe Girls Grammar
