Like many eight-year-old girls, Liviela Ulunga loves dancing, riding her bike and having her nails painted. The toy basket in her pink-themed South Auckland bedroom is piled high with cuddly dolls and animals, and topped with a giant version of her favourite Disney character, Moana.
The toys are a source of joy and comfort to the severely autistic youngster. But unlike her nine-year-old brother Nale’s collection, there are no plastic objects and nothing with sharp edges or metal – because if there were, it’s likely Liviela would try to eat them.
As well as autism, a digestive condition and a heart problem that was corrected soon after birth, Liviela, the youngest of three siblings, suffers from an unusual condition called pica, which sees her crave inedible objects, such as sand, plastic, wood, dirt and glass.
“She’ll sneakily try to eat things and it’s not always possible to stop her – I don’t have eyes in the back of my head,” tells her mum Rebecca Wood, 46.
“At Christmas, tinsel is just not an option and I never give her toys with batteries because she would just eat them. We also keep the table salt out of her reach because otherwise she would grab the container and eat the whole lot.”
Liviela has an unusual condition called pica.
Pica, the Latin word for “magpie”, is often found in people with autism and learning difficulties, as well as pregnant women. It can cause a range of serious complications, including poisoning from toxic ingredients and serious obstructions in the body.
Already, tells Rebecca, Liviela has had a “near-death experience” after consuming a marble.
“She must have brought it home from kindy and swallowed it. I heard her gagging violently and rushed into her bedroom. She was not well at all – she was changing colour. I managed to whack her, and the marble came flying out of her mouth and shot across the floor. But we had to take her to hospital to make sure there was no other damage. That was definitely the scariest incident.”
Liviela has eaten candles and wood, with her favourites being bark and bamboo. “Polystyrene is also a big worry because she could choke on it,” adds Rebecca. “And she can never have playdough because she’ll eat it. She cries and cries whenever we go to the mall, but I have to say no to things.”
Liviela is the youngest of three siblings.
Even a simple trip to the park or beach becomes a potentially fatal exercise.
Rebecca explains, “She loves swimming, but she will either try to drink the salt water or start eating the sand. She’ll take handfuls of dirt – nothing is off limits. There are very few people who I will let take her out, purely because I know not everyone will be able to cope.”
Rebecca’s first inkling that her daughter had pica came when she gave her a wooden toy at six months old.
“Instead of playing with it, she began gnawing on it. She would’ve eaten the whole thing if I hadn’t taken it off her. Being non-verbal until she was three years old made it even harder to monitor.”
Liviela’s autism also means she has no concept of pain and fear.
When she turned five, Liviela – now a happy-go-lucky, talkative girl – began attending a special-needs school and Rebecca also joined the Auckland Whanau Special Needs Group, where her understanding of pica has helped other families.
Liviela’s autism also means she has no concept of pain and fear, putting her in danger from other people, animals – and herself.
She once shut her finger in a door without realising and, on a recent trip to a Gold Coast wildlife park, had no qualms about wrapping a snake around her neck for a photo.
Although having a child with such diverse, intensive needs can be a challenge, Rebecca says invaluable support from the Kidz First Hospital in Counties Manukau has been “a lifesaver”.
Since Liviela was born, she and Rebecca have stayed there dozens of times, mostly for serious digestive issues that are often worsened by pica.
“Visiting Kidz First is a big part of our lives,” tells Rebecca.
“The staff are like family and I honestly don’t know what we’d do without the place. There’s no method to the madness of our day-to-day life.”
This year, Liviela is the face of the Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal.
This year, Liviela is the face of the Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal, which kicks off on August 7 to raise funds for 11 children’s wards across the country, including Kidz First.
Kiwis can support the campaign by donating at the checkout, buying a wristband or raffle ticket in stores, or while shopping online.
“Liv is going to be under the medical team until she’s 18, so it’s important we do everything we can to support them,” says Rebecca.
“Thanks to Kidz First, our challenges are never a struggle. With their amazing help and support, my daughter has a great future ahead of her.”
