Member of the Month August 2026

Our member of the month this month is Maiya Coleman.

Maiya was diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus during the 20th week of her mum Gemma’s pregnancy. From that moment, the rest of the pregnancy became a whirlwind of hospital appointments, with Gemma travelling back and forth between hospitals, often several hours from home. Eventually, it was decided that Maiya would be born at Leeds, where she could receive the specialist care she needed. The plan was for her to undergo surgery just one day after she was born.

Maiya was just 18 hours old when she underwent spinal closure surgery and had a shunt fitted to drain the excess fluid from her brain. At the time, the outlook was uncertain. Doctors warned Gemma and her family that Maiya could experience difficulties with breathing and feeding. But Maiya has continued to surprise everyone.

Although Maiya has developed at a slower pace than expected when it comes to tolerating solid foods, she is breathing independently and is able to take fluids orally, doing far better than doctors initially predicted. It is likely that Maiya will become a full-time wheelchair user, but that certainly isn't going to hold her back.

For her first birthday, Maiya was given her very own wheelchair, and she is already learning how to navigate around the house in it. Her determination and independence are clear to see. Most importantly, Maiya doesn't let her disability define her. She is a happy, content and wonderfully determined little girl who continues to inspire everyone around her.

For Gemma, Beads of Courage became a particularly special part of Maiya's time in NICU.

It was something she could look forward to each week; a chance to take a moment away from the uncertainty of hospital life, meet other mums going through similar experiences, and celebrate each milestone their babies had achieved. While the beads represent the many procedures, treatments, "pokes and prods" that Maiya experienced, Gemma says they hold a much deeper meaning. They tell the story of everything Maiya has had to overcome to become the little girl she is today.

"It's a story of what your child had to go through to be the person they are today, I am forever showing off Maiyas beads and I'm sure once she's old enough to talk she'll be doing the same!"

Maiya's journey has already been filled with challenges that no child should have to face. Yet, through it all, she has shown an incredible strength and determination. Her beads are more than a record of her medical journey. They are a celebration of her resilience, her milestones and the little girl she is becoming.

And for Gemma and her family, they are a beautiful reminder of just how far Maiya has already come.