Blog & News

A love story

A love story

Dear friends of Helèna, Lara and BestLife, "It’s a love story." That’s what acclaimed Brisbane author Trent Dalton said last year about Helèna’s life. And he’s absolutely right. Our Heléna... warm like the sun, gentle, kind yet intelligent and strong. Heléna, a...

Thanks to BestLife

Thanks to BestLife

“When Lara comes home from her three-night stays at BestLife she immediately starts putting her ‘housemates’ skills to use! Making toast, putting her clothes in the laundry and asking ‘see BestLife friends, Dad?’. Our wish for Lara is that one day she may live...

Lara’s story

Lara’s story

BestLife began when our founder Kath Coory began looking for out of home activities for her eleven year old daughter Lara. Playdates, sleepovers without her parents being there weren’t possible, and that troubled her mum, Kath. Where would Lara make friends and have...

Tom’s story

Tom’s story

Tom is a happy, healthy and outgoing kid, but he needs more support than most kids his age. Fourteen-year-old Tom has Down Syndrome, while his twin brother Lachie doesn’t. Although they’re the best of mates, it wasn’t possible for Tom to take part in many of the...

Keeping Helena McIlwain’s name alive

Keeping Helena McIlwain’s name alive

HELÈNA McIlwain loved stars. Her sister Sophia says it started out as a fashion trend – she wanted stars on dresses, on shirts, on skirts – but soon enough, everything Helèna owned needed to have a star on it. As her mum, artist and educator Fiona McIlwain says, stars...