Happy Mother’s Day to amazing mums everywhere! Some of them have told us just how much our small charities make a difference in their lives.
One mum tells us about how her son Ethan has become much more confident about using his voice after joining the Swindon Downs Syndrome Group. Before joining the group, he was very aware of his difficulties with speech and avoided speech with all but his family.
His mum said: “Over the summer, and since starting the new school year, Ethan has continued to grow with his speech and language skills. He loves the praise and smiles he receives and is very excited when you have understood him. His favourite thing at the moment is to say ‘coconut cake’ whenever he can as he loves the response we give. It’s quite a tricky thing for Ethan to say and he will say it loud and proud every time!”
We hear from mum of 20-year-old Alicia who joined Heart n Soul’s creative arts project two years ago. Heart n Soul makes a huge difference to the lives of young people with learning disabilities in London.
Here, Alicia takes part in the music group, and has even formed a brand-new digital band with three other young people. Thanks to Heart n Soul, her family have seen Alicia grow in confidence. Her mum, Jacqueline, said:
“Her development and to see how’s she’s grown at Heart n Soul is incredible. She’s very settled now, her concentration is beautiful. Her behaviour, well it’s come on in leaps and bounds. She’s also a lot more assertive and shows more leadership. The whole family is really proud, her grandmum is blown away and calls her ‘Amazing Ali.”
William’s mum finds the support of Rosie’s Rainbow Fund, a small charity founded to help seriously ill and disabled youngsters throughout the Thames Valley area, a big help to get the whole family through a tough time.
William is five years old, and has congenital kypho-scoliosis – a condition that means his spine curves both sideways and forwards as he grows. He is currently in Oxford Children’s Hospital undergoing a lengthy procedure before his fourth surgery. His mum talks about how Rosie’s Rainbow Fund has supported them as their lives have been turned upside down:
“William has been able to access music therapy weekly and really looks forward to his sessions, particularly the opportunity to play the drums very loudly! Being able to engage in these activities has provided much needed fun and distraction during what could otherwise be another tedious day spent on the ward.
We, as parents, have also felt incredibly lucky to enjoy the aromatherapy massages provided by the fund. These sessions provide some very much-needed headspace for us. An hour of calm, time to talk and for the therapist to find the right blend of oils for that moment to either help us relax or give us a lift before we return to the ward once more.
We are so grateful to Rosie’s Rainbow Fund for helping to make this very difficult period for our family more bearable. The work you do is so important to families like ours. Thank you!”
