Please help Make a Downes Syndrome Child Smile!!!

Thank you so much for showing an interest in my blog! I am trying to raise the awareness of children with special needs. I hope you will learn a bit about special needs as it is not a well known topic and I hope that you will want to help.

I shall start off by explaining to you a little bit about special needs. I know quite a lot of people with special needs as I have a brother with severe autism, this means that he cannot communicate and finds the world very confusing. He suffers from learning difficulties and behavioural problems. He behaves as if he is three years old (he is actually 16) as he can’t express what he wants or tell us what he doesn’t like. The environment and sounds that surrounds him can really upset him but he cannot tell us why. He finds it very difficult to sleep. These are just a few aspects of having autism which is a very complex disability. There are also other types of special needs. Such as Downs Syndrome (where extra genetic material affects the development of the baby both mentally and physically); Aspergers (a very able form of autism) and Cerebral Palsy (which greatly affects someone’s physical ability). Special Needs affects many people and restricts them from learning or doing things that we would easily be able to do and that we take for granted.

The John Parkes Unit in Torquay is a ward connected to Torbay Hospital which provides respite for children with special needs but as well as this the children require medical help. It is being closed down because of its high operating costs. The council has argued that that the children can go to the other respite centre in Dartington however this centre does not give the complex medical care the children need! The John Parkes Unit (JPU) is vital to the children’s families because without the unit, the families will be under great strain as they would be without that one night where they can just relax without having to look after their child, knowing they are in safe hands. This is why the unit must stay open and I hope I can increase support for the unit. Therefore, I hope this has persuaded you to look more closely into the topic and possibly take action or help with charity events to help stop the closure.

There are over 500,000 children in the UK who have special needs; many of them have severe mental and physical disabilities and life-limiting illnesses. The financial strain on their families can be huge and for some a simple trip to the seaside or a week's holiday is beyond their means. That is why charities like Happy Days are here to help to fund and organise holidays, residential trips, days out and theatre trips throughout the UK for disadvantaged young people with special needs. They help young people in special needs schools, in hospitals and in hospices and they help individual families. These types of organisation are so worthwhile and if we all gave some money, we can help put a smile on so many people’s faces.
So please do all that you possibly can to help these children and the families who have been affected by special needs because you can help disadvantaged children experience the pleasures of what life has to offer and I believe it is such a good cause. So come on; make a child smile!!!

After you have read the blog, it would be very kind if you could answer a few questions by posting them as a comment:

* Do you feel more informed about special needs?
* Do you support or oppose trying to keep the John Parkes Unit open?
* Any extra thoughts???

Thank you for your time

Phoebe.