Imolathe

This little fella is an absolute wild card! He's got the CUTEST smile and sweetest face but homeboy knows how to cause trouble. We hosted an event at a yoga studio and it became a game of dodgeball when Imo discovered the yoga blocks hiding in the corner.

Imo's biggest passion in life is food - we're kindred spirits in that way. His 2023 Christmas wishlist was just a list of foods he wanted: bananas, cake and chocolate. His biggest love is ketchup; at a recent Lolla's Light event, he spilled some ketchup on the table and proceeded to start licking the table to ensure he got every last drop.

Imo's also not one to be told 'no'. At our year end event in 2024, Imo was not allowed into the trampoline area, as it was only for kids older than 5. Every time I turned my back, Imo would waste no time and sprint like his life depended on it to try and get into the trampoline area before I saw him. As this back and forth continued, Imo's strategies became more and more complex, involving him hiding behind pillars and under tables to avoid detection. I can only admire his determination and commitment to the cause, and I'm relieved that he’s old enough now to finally be allowed into the trampoline area!

Imo was born with a squint. We were fortunate enough to get a pro-bono doctor's visit with a children's ophthalmologist, who gave us lots of useful insight. Imo's treatment then continued at Red Cross Children's Hospital. For the first few months, Imo's mom had to tape his 'stronger' eye for several hours a day in order to train the 'weaker' one. After a few months of this, he was given his first pair of glasses. Could not imagine anyone looking cuter than Imo when he has his glasses on!

He goes for regular checkups at Red Cross and his doctors are very happy with his progress. We will continue to monitor and, if necessary, he will have an operation when he is 10 years old, but we're hopeful that the glasses will do the trick! And perhaps most fittingly, Imo has recently decided that when he grows up, he wants to be an ophthalmologist - an eye doctor. We love that for him.