"Words can’t describe how you feel that somebody is giving you a holiday.”
Chris's Story
Looking after their severely disabled son Dom is a full-time occupation for former librarian Chris and his wife Annabelle.
Aged 14 and in a wheelchair, Dom has complex needs as a result of hypermobility, low muscle tone and speech and language delay.
It’s a big challenge for us as his parents, because we have to cater for all his needs. And sometimes trying to understand what they are is quite a problem. It’s a 24/7 job.
It affects the whole family, because I guess for him to see other children running about is very frustrating so he does get angry from time to time.
The couple also have an eleven-year-old daughter, Pixie, and Chris and Annabelle are very conscious of not always having enough time to devote to her. So when an opportunity arose for the family to go on holiday somewhere that could accommodate a wheelchair, they leapt at the idea.
The last time they all got away was when Annabelle’s mum died a few years ago. Originally from the Philippines, she felt that it was important to go back to pay her last respects but the trip was edged with grief and not exactly a holiday.
On top of this, Chris’s own health has given serious cause for concern of late and he has to take blood thinners to keep life-threatening clots from forming.
A four-night break in Croyde Bay in North Devon proved to be just the pick-me-up that Chris and Annabelle needed.
Annabelle who was delighted to have a few days off from cooking family meals says,
I cried with happiness when I heard about the holiday.
What really counted for them was that they were able to stay in specially adapted accommodation which usually costs a premium.
It can sometimes be twice what you normally pay for standard accommodation because obviously you’ve got to have extra wide doors, showers, in some cases hoists and those all come at a cost.
Even though the weather could “have been a bit warmer” in Chris’ words, Pixie was determined to swim in the sea despite a keen wind. She also made friends with a girl her own age in the soft play area.
Classed as a young carer, Pixie helps out a lot around the house and with her brother so both parents were thrilled to see her spending time having fun with other children.
A hiccup occurred when Dom’s wheelchair got stuck in the sand but the local surf club came to the rescue, lending him a beach buggy with bigger wheels so that he could still appreciate the beach.
It was nice to be able to have some quality time together, without the challenges and responsibilities that you have at home. We could just go and chill out together and do stuff that we probably wouldn’t normally do. The change of scenery, the change of air.
With it being low season, the holiday park was particularly quiet and peaceful - the perfect antidote to a hectic life where Chris and Annabelle rarely get time to themselves or for one another.
Words can’t describe how you feel that somebody is giving you a holiday that’s not going to cost you an arm and a leg.
We asked Dom if he enjoyed it and if he liked the caravan. He said yes and we know that if he hadn’t enjoyed it, he’d have let us know!