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For families of disabled and seriously ill children, the summer holidays aren’t a chance to relax on the beach or take a trip abroad. Soaring costs and childcare needs make holidays unavailable, and even something as simple as an hour’s respite can be out of reach.
Holidays don’t have to look the same for everyone, and it can be just as important to carve your own safe space at home. Mum Kimberly tells us about how she’s used one of our grants to help turn her garden into a haven at home for her children.
Family life
Kimberly has five children, including five-year-old triplets, Emmy, Addison and Elsie. The triplets were born at 30 weeks and received care from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICO).
Emmy is nonverbal, has no concentration or interaction and needs prescribed melatonin to sleep. Addison has anxiety, autism, and speech difficulties. Elsie also has additional needs.
Respite unavailable
Kimberly has applied for respite care but found that nothing is available.
“The funding is there for Emmy,” she says, “but there’s no people to help with respite. There’s a waiting list until next year.
“When it’s half term, [Emmy] is like a different person. Bangs her head up against doors and walls and stuff like that, so she needs that structure. We applied for that [holiday care], but that’s not available for her.”
Creating a haven at home this summer
Kimberly received a Family Fund grant to get a climbing frame and a trampoline for her garden so her children could have their own space to play.
It’s just so nice to see them happy and playing. I’ll get to sit back and enjoy myself as I’m watching them enjoy themselves.
“It’s something I wouldn’t have been able to have done on my own. It’s just that expensive that I would never be able to pay for that.
“I want to make my garden into more of playground so if we can’t go out that day or someone’s having a bad day, we can be at home and we can be out there and you’re there still exercising and they’re still getting outside. For [Family Fund] to be able to help us achieve that, it’s massive for us. It’s a relief because I’m looking at that thinking I wouldn’t have been able to have done that on my own, you know? So just it’s overwhelming, sort of like happiness and gratitude.”
For as little as £5, you can help families like Kimberly’s create a safe space for their children and help inject some joy into their lives. Donate today to make a difference.
