Kat Yearbury who is raising $150,000 for her daughter Ella age 4 so she can have an operation in the USA that will help her walk. / Dean Purcell
A desperate South Auckland mum is organising a world-record attempt at gathering the most fairies in one place.
She wants to raise $150,000 for her 4-year-old daughter Ella Yearbury's surgery to help her walk.
The world record attempt needs a minimum of 872 fairies - people dressed in a tutu, wings and holding a wand - to be in the one place at the one time on April 15.
Ella was born at 25 weeks gestation weighing 800g. Her rocky start resulted in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and epilepsy. She has had 18 operations and earned more than 650 courage beads.
Kat Yearbury with her 4-year-old daughter Ella. Kat is organising a crack at the world record for the most fairies in one place. Photo / Dean Purcell
Ella has been accepted for a selective dorsal rhizotomy, in St Louis, Missouri, which will give Ella the chance to walk independently.
Mum Kat Yearbury said to get Ella walking "would change our world completely".
"When she was born they told us she'd never walk, never talk, never recognise us. Now she wants to use her body but can't get it to do what she wants it to do."
The South Auckland family are determined to get her there "one step at a time".
Ella Yearbury holding her dad's hand after her first brain surgery at two weeks old. She was born 15 weeks early. Photo / Supplied
Ella is scheduled to have the surgery on May 3, her 5th birthday.
But the surgery will cost $150,000. They cracked $100,000 last month after many bake sales, fairs, movie nights, chocolate sales, and other fundraisers.
Yearbury wanted to think of something "crazy" that lots of people would go to and alighted on a Guinness world record attempt for the most fairies in one place.
The record of 871 fairies is held by St Giles Hospice in England.
Fairies attending the first rainy Guinness world record attempt in February to fundraise for Ella Yearbury's surgery. Photo / Supplied
Yearbury held their first record attempt in February, but the weather wasn't conducive to a good fairy turnout.
"We attempted it in a torrential downpour. We had over 1600 saying they were coming but ended up with 559 absolutely saturated fairies. I think we created a new record for most fairies in a storm."
Ella Yearbury was born 15 weeks early weighing 800 grams. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and epilepsy. Photo / Dean Purcell
The fairy theme came from Ella's name, which means fairy maiden and family referred to her as their "fairy ninja" when she was a baby in hospital.
Yearbury decided to have a second go at the record on April 15 at a yet-to-be-confirmed location in Manukau. She emphasised that any participating fairies needed to wear wings, a tutu and carry a wand for five minutes. She had come up with her own hashtag - #dontdropthewand.
"The fairy thing has taken over. We've just been rolling with it. This would be a hilarious fun day. Who doesn't want to dress up as a fairy?"
Ella Yearbury, 4, has defied the odds ever since birth and hopes an overseas surgery will help her to walk on her own one day. Photo / Supplied
Yearbury wished her oldest daughter, who died in birth because of extreme pre-eclampsia, could be there.
