Amy’s Story: From the Sidelines to Sleepovers

Amy is 19, full of personality, joy, and a love of dancing. She’s non-verbal, communicates using an iPad, and has complex needs that make independence and social connection more difficult. But that doesn’t stop her from lighting up a room, or ruling the school bus with her music playlist and infectious energy.

She lives with her parents, Brad and Anne, and her older sister, Emma. The Lutteral’s are a close-knit family in Brisbane, navigating life with equal parts humour, patience, and deep love for one another. Like many families of a child with disability, every week is carefully structured, school, therapy, dance class, outings, all designed around Amy’s needs and happiness.

Amy attends a special school and, until recently, most of her social world revolved around her family and a single weekly dance class. She loved it, but her parents knew she needed more. While her sister Emma was out with friends, playing sport, or studying, Amy was mostly at home, often on the couch with her iPad. Sleepovers, dinners with friends, and spontaneous outings weren’t part of her world.

That changed when the Lutteral’s discovered BestLife.

A Long Wait for Something Life-Changing

Anne first heard about BestLife through a friend connected to the disability community. She added Amy’s name to the waitlist more than four years ago. It wasn’t until last year that Amy began to get occasional invitations when other participants couldn’t make it. She joined a few day activities, kayaking, bowling, and karaoke. “Every time they offered, we said yes,” Anne says.

It was the beginning of something special.

This year, the Lutteral’s got the email they’d been hoping for: a permanent slot had opened up for Amy.

“There was no hesitation,” Anne says. “We replied in a minute, we just knew.”

Since then, Amy’s been a regular at BestLife. She now has something every teenager deserves: time with friends, a sense of independence, and a safe space to just be herself.

She sings karaoke, cooks burgers, helps with the dishes, and laughs until bedtime. Brad even saw a photo of Amy washing up—something she doesn’t do at home. “It’s typical,” he jokes. “They always do more for others than they do for their parents.”

More than anything, Amy’s excited. She knows when it’s time for BestLife, grabs her suitcase, and is out the door. “She’s beaming,” says Anne. “We don’t even get a goodbye anymore, just a big smile.”

A Win-Win for the Whole Family

The impact extends beyond Amy.

For Brad and Anne, BestLife offers rare time together, without worry. It means a dinner out, a movie, or even a short weekend getaway, something they’d only done once before in Amy’s entire life.

“We see our friends planning for retirement and travel,” Anne reflects. “That’s not our reality. Amy will always need support. But now, we get just a little taste of what that kind of freedom feels like. It’s a win-win. Amy’s happy and safe, and we can breathe.”

For Emma, it’s a shift too. “It’s nice to know she’s doing something on a Saturday night, just like I am,” she says. “I can go to work or see friends knowing Amy’s got something of her own.”

A Place to Grow and Belong

BestLife is more than a program, it’s a community where Amy is known and included. She’s recognised by peers from past schools, sits at the dinner table with friends, and gets to choose activities she enjoys.

“She’s never been invited to a sleepover,” says Anne. “But now we can say, ‘Amy’s out with her friends.’ That’s everything.”

The Lutteral’s have always found ways to enrich Amy’s life. But BestLife adds something different, independence, social connection, and the space for Amy to grow outside the walls of her home.

“It’s just normal,” Anne says. “And that’s what we’ve always wanted, for Amy to have what other young people have. Time with friends. A night away. A sense of her own life.”

What's needed

Every dollar makes a tangible difference. Your support helps us:

Say yes

Creative Inclusive Environments

Bring joy

Peace of mind

Give families peace of mind—and a rare moment to rest

Reduce the wait

Why Your Donation Matters

At BestLife Foundation, we believe every young person with a disability deserves the chance to thrive, not just to be cared for, but to belong, build friendships, and enjoy the ordinary, joyful moments of growing up.

But right now, more than 20 young people like Amy are still waiting.

They’re waiting for connection. Waiting for independence. Waiting for someone to say yes.