When you are looking after someone, especially in difficult circumstances, they are your main priority and often any thoughts of your own needs or wellbeing are long forgotten.
If you see a loved one suffering, naturally you want to do everything that you can to make them feel better and protect them from any pain. When you are looking after someone, especially in difficult circumstances, they are your main priority and often any thoughts of your own needs or wellbeing are long forgotten.
Being a parent can be hugely challenging at the best of times, particularly when you have a million things to juggle. Meet Amy Angell. Amy is a stay at home Mum who has four children to look after, including Elliott. After being born prematurely at 31 weeks, Elliott suffered brain damage. He has diplegic cerebral palsy which affects both of his legs which means he is unable to sit or walk unaided.
Elliott hopes to one day walk alongside his siblings and play football with his twin sister but this relies heavily on having life-changing surgery - Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). Unfortunately, this operation costs £75,000 and is not funded by the NHS.
Over the past six years, Amy has dedicated her time to increasing awareness locally about Elliott’s condition, contacting charities and finding fundraising events to make her son’s dream become a reality. As Amy’s husband Dean worked in the electrical industry for 20 years, he contacted Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) for assistance.
EIC has supported Elliott in a number of ways, such as funding a new wheelchair for him. However, the Charity has also played an integral role in improving Amy’s wellbeing. It has been an incredibly tough time for Amy as life is filled with hospital appointments, of which Amy does not miss a single one. There is a lot of planning involved; such as booking travel, identifying disability friendly hotel stays, arranging child care and overnight provisions for Elliott’s twin sister, as well as meal planning to suit Elliott’s strict diet.
Alongside this, Amy has to manage the family home and all of the usual responsibilities such as housework, food shopping, birthdays, paying bills and general life admin.
Sometimes, this has been very draining on Amy as the family no longer go out together as every penny is precious and they need to save any babysitting hours for hospital appointments.
Previously, Amy had some self-help sessions which she felt were very useful in helping her manage daily life. EIC has now funded hypnotherapy sessions for Amy which are helping her feel more like her usual self. At home she has a CD she can listen to which helps her relax.
EIC has been on hand to help Amy take some time out for herself without having to feel guilty or having to use any of the much-needed funds from the family’s income. With Amy feeling stronger, she can continue to look after her own wellbeing and also her family’s.