Letters from the families of
Sophia, Hayden & Kalem and Grace
Sophia
Sophia is 4 years old and suffers from physical
& mental disabilities.
(You may have seen the article in the Sunday
Independent a few weeks ago)
The entire Oragano family says they are blessed
by the generosity of the Trust.
Thanks to them Sophia receives twice weekly
sessions of Occupational Therapy which leaves Carol Ann time to focus on her
two brothers. It also means that Carol
Ann and Seán were able to take Sophia to Brainwave in the UK for intensive
therapy. Because of current cutbacks it
is hard for the Oraganos to access essential services and the Trust really
helps in this regard.
HAYDEN
& KALEM
Our names are Yvonne and Peter McCord and we are
the parents of 32 month old twin boys Hayden and Kalem who were born at 33
weeks. Because of their premature birth both our boys are severely behind in
both developmental and communicational skills.
Initially we discovered “On The Spot Therapy”
however while we found it to be exactly the help that our boys needed
unfortunately due to financial reasons we were unable to avail of this help.
“On The Spot Therapy” made us aware of “The Laura Brennan Trust”. This
introduction has been without doubt the 'light at the end of our tunnel' when
it comes to both our boys. Before being introduced to the Trust we felt that
any other help out there was too far in the future and every day as parents we
felt we were not doing enough for our boys.
Hayden and Kalem have been with “On The Spot
Therapy” for a number of weeks now and we have seen a fantastic improvement in
both boys. Their listening skills have greatly improved and this has
meant that they are now beginning to communicate with us. Words are slow coming
from them but with continual therapy we hope they will improve. Only the
other day Hayden blew me a kiss which blew us away.
We cannot express how grateful we are for the help
we have received from “The Laura Brennan Trust”. A big heartfelt thank you from
us and the Boys
GRACE
Help
from the “Laura Brennan Trust”
Grace
was a wonderful surprise for my husband and me after 14 years of marriage
and many years trying to have a family. She has been the most precious gift and
I thank every day I see her toothy smile that she is mine. But, both Grace
and I have been practically living in hospitals for the past year. After
many years of never being apart, my husband and I have been living in separate
countries now for the past six months. Without the help of “The Laura Brennan
Trust”, we would not be able to afford the regular visits we now
have planned for as long as we remain here. We cannot thank the
Trust enough for supporting our family during this trying time. Words
cannot really describe the feeling of your life being thrown upside down
when your child is unwell. Although we are forever thankful for the
great care Grace has received both in Temple Street and in Great Ormond Street,
we did not envisage our first year as a family being so challenging. The
Trust has given us peace of mind that we can be together as a family much more
often, without worsening our already stretched financial situation. We promise
to be supporters of the Trust on our return and hope to be able to support the
Trust in helping other families like us. We hope that you will too.