Entrepreneur and Insta influencer joins forces with devoted fan to light up hearts in support of Cerebral Palsy Awareness

"Shooting Star", is a unique wax melt dedicated to Katie Steel and created for Cerebral Palsy awareness, with a donation of £1 from each sale, being donated to CP Teens UK charity, to provide further support for individuals like Katie who are bravely navigating the challenges of the condition.

After Katie showed an interest in the business, and a curiosity around the production line of the products, Hannah, who has known Katie for the last 5 years after the teenager connected with her through her Instagram account, decided to offer her the opportunity to be involved, with the creation of her own charity product.

Hannah, 28, invited Katie, 16, to be a part of the whole production process from conception to creation, giving her a new boost of confidence around her abilities and a focus for her passion for Hannah’s products.

Hannah said: “Katie has very much been in charge of the process. So the first step was picking a scent. I selected a range of fragrances and sent them up to Glasgow. The rest has been down to Katie – she whittled down the scents and settled on her absolute favourite. She has a great nose for fragrance! Then it was time to choose a name for the scent / collaboration. Katie always wanted the word Star to be involved simply because she LOVES stars. She’s been fascinated by them for years. Shooting Star immediately came to me because it just symbolises Katie perfectly – a blaze of light and sparkling brilliance.”

Katie said: “It doesn't feel real, I have been talking about this all year and planning for so long. I just wanted to make Hannah proud and show everyone that my disability actually helped me to be able to do something so amazing and show other disabled people and young disabled people that we can do anything we want especially if we have people who believe in us like Hannah believes in me.”

Katie has used Ava May Aroma wax melts for years, and says they help her to relax and unwind from the stresses of life.

Katie first connected to Hannah as she took to spending more time on social media during the pandemic. Due to Katie’s Cerebral Palsy, she missed many lessons and events in school as she had been isolated for over a year during lockdown due to being vulnerable. As she spent more time on social media, she became instantly attracted to the community she found there, giving her a sense of inclusivity and she thrived off the ability to reach out to people she wanted to share a connection with, which she was unable to do in person.

Katie initially followed Mrs Hinch and found Hannah and Ava May Aromas through her, then she saw her chance when Hannah found herself in Katie’s home town of Glasgow. Following Hannah’s stories, Katie discovered she was in her local B&M with her best friend and fellow Instagram influencer Mario McKnight, and got over there as quickly as possible for the chance to meet her. They connected when they met that day, and Hannah has been back to visit many times.

Last week, in a beautiful gesture of friendship, Hannah flew out to Glasgow to surprise Katie with the completed wax melt.

Katie’s Mum Clare said: “Hannah and Katie have built up a really strong bond over the years, and the positive impact Hannah has had on Katie’s life is powerful. She has given her self belief, confidence, hope that she can have a future - and we see her as family now.”