Rosie’s Special Day meeting Leah Williamson

At just 15, Rosie was diagnosed with kidney disease. In May 2025, her dream came true when she was given the chance to spend an unforgettable day with her lifelong hero, Leah Williamson. Rosie’s mum Amanda shared what the experience meant to her.

“That day gave us memories that will last forever. Seeing the smile on Rosie’s face meant everything.”

Rosie’s story

“Rosie has faced so much since birth. She was born with a spinal abnormality and later had both legs amputated. Over the past year and a half, she has also been living with stage 5 kidney disease and Crohn’s disease. It has been incredibly challenging. When she was born, I was in one hospital and she was in another, and I had a two-year-old at home. As a single parent, juggling hospital life and caring for two young children was really tough. Rosie is quite a quiet girl. She doesn’t often share how she feels, but she takes everything on board. Her conditions affect what she can do, like going out with friends or joining in with activities such as bike riding. That’s actually how she got into skateboarding, something she could really make her own. Even something simple like a day out takes careful planning. Is the place wheelchair friendly? Will the food be suitable for her? It all has a real impact on family life. We try to live life to the full and take it day by day.”

Meeting Leah

“Rosie was absolutely buzzing on her Special Day. Just the experience of going to London and staying in a hotel was exciting, but arriving at the Emirates and seeing her face light up was unforgettable. She gasped when we got the private tour, and then when Leah walked in, her whole face lit up. Leah signed a shirt and football for her, showed her behind the scenes, and even introduced her to the whole squad. Rosie just kept saying, ‘This is the best day ever.’ She didn’t want it to end.”

“I don’t know how they do it, but everything was perfect”

“That day gave us memories that will last forever. Seeing the smile on Rosie’s face meant everything. We never would have been able to do something like that without Willow. I don’t know how they do it, but everything was perfect.”