Twenty years ago, the headline was about desperation. A four-year-old girl, fighting a rare and debilitating disease, was being denied vital medication by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Her mother, Theresa Small, was locked in a battle for her daughter’s life.

Today, the narrative has shifted dramatically.

Thalisa Williams-Waithe is now 24 years old. She recently stood before an audience in Miami, Florida, reading a speech at her graduation from the Florida Education Institute – a moment her mother describes as nothing short of a miracle.