Hello, I’m Wilamena Dyer, a musician, cello player & percussionist. I am a 17-year-old girl who attends school, surfs, blogs, bakes, and travels, and I also have Tourette’s syndrome and OCD. I don’t let my neurological conditions hold me back!
I am writing this blog to bring awareness and help others with these conditions. This blog is about my story, my daily life, my tics, my struggles and little tips on how to cope.
Media Interviews and Journalist Requests
I have been a BBC Young Reporter of the Year and interviewed musicians about Tourette’s Syndrome and also been the subject of many media interviews raising awareness about Tourette’s Syndrome and neurodiversity with many top organisations, including the BBC News Channel, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio5 Live, RTL TV in Germany, ITV Good Morning Britain, Channel 5 TV News, Cornwall Live, BBC Spotlight, BBC Points West and ITV Westcountry TV, Heathrow Airport and Lloyds Bank as well as many newspapers, podcasts, videos and magazine articles. I welcome every opportunity to talk to the media and journalists about Tourette’s Syndrome and what it’s really like, my life and how music helps with my situation, so please do reach out.
Tourette’s Charities
I am proud to be a champion of the UK charity Tourette’s Action and to be associated with the USA Tourette’s awareness charity NJCTS.
So, welcome to TicTastic! Xx
MY LATEST BLOGS
My back to school presentation about my Tourette’s Syndrome and OCD
I have made this video to present to my school and year group so that they have a bit more of an understanding of my health conditions; Tourettes and OCD. I have made it as colourful and bright as I can. I hope you will enjoy watching it and that perhaps it might help others […]
Tourette’s and Friends Q & A!
Hello, today I have made a video all about what it is like to be friends with someone who has TS (TS stands for Tourette’s Syndrome). If you know someone who has TS then try and make friends with them because they might be in need of a friend! I have made this video with […]
This is me!!
I have made a video all about sending out a message to people about me and my Tourette’s Syndrome. I want to say to other people to not let their Tourettes, or any other conditions, define them or stop them from doing anything that they want to do. I even went to the beach to […]
A week away with the National Children’s Orchestra
Last week I went on a music summer course with the National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) of Great Britain. The course was up past Blackpool in Fleetwood, which is a very long way from Cornwall, which is where I live. I was on the course because I auditioned last year on my cello and was awarded […]
Reading with Tourettes
I have recently found a website and charity called Listening Books which is for people with a disability that struggle with reading because of it. It could be because you have dyslexia, Parkinson’s, are visually impaired or in my case, if you have Tourettes or any mental illness that stops you from reading. I struggle with reading because of […]
Swimming and Pebble Painting
Hello everybody, today I had a mixture of things on. To start with I started some of my pebble painting which is where I collect some pebbles and paint them with these special paint pens which are made for the pebble painting. I started by doing an owl which turned out really well! I like making colourful pebbles or […]
A review of chew jewellery for anxiety, tics and Tourette’s syndrome
I did a review video of my chew jewellery which helps me with my Tourettes and tics. I use them to bite on and that can really help with my tics and anxiety. I love these products and I find them really really useful. I like having a variety of ones so that I am […]
Doctors and Dentists
Today I had a day filled with lots of medical things. It started with a checkup with my paediatrician. We had a good appointment today and we talked about medicines. Because I have been on two different medicines before, Clonidine and Aripiprazole I have to decide whether to look into a different one for me […]
Tangle toys for Tourettes
I review some fidget toys called tangle toys which I find really useful with my Tourette’s. I use these to help with my tics when I am in certain situations like school, or quiet places. Hope you enjoy the video 🙂 Xx Some online places to look for tangle toys: My metallic blue ones came […]
Quay jumping and the cinema
Today I have quite a busy day because I have just finished doing my cello practice which I did for an hour which went quite well today. I am also meeting some friends after lunch to go quay jumping, which means that when it is high tide you can jump off into the sea, it’s […]
I Rode a Bike!!
Yesterday was the first time that I had ridden a bike in at last 2 years! It has always been something that I have struggled with because of my tics; just one arm tic and I could fall off so easily. But I decided to go for it and actually I loved it and I […]