In February we celebrated my daughter Valentina’s 18th
birthday. It was a great family gathering as my sons and my other daughter came
from around the UK to the residential school where she lives near Doncaster. We
put up a party in her beautiful accommodation, a bungalow the Hesley Group
built just for her.
She’d had a party at school the day before as well
and as soon as we arrived she showed us the presents they gave her, a unicorn
blanket she proudly wore on her head and a pink My Little Pony soft toy.
My other daughter and I decorated the room with
banners and balloons while one of my sons played with her using some glow in
the dark stuff I’d found at the supermarket. Together they assembled some
phosphorescent little tubes provided in the package in a very fanciful creative
way and built bracelets, glasses and a sort of hat. She wore them in a dark
room enjoying it tremendously.
Later on my other son and my husband took the
present we had brought for her: a big soft gorilla toy as tall as her wrapped
up in birthday paper. At first she couldn’t believe such a big pack was for
her, then she tore up the paper and hugged and squeezed it. She was so happy
about all the presents that she donned everything we had brought her: a new
blue dress plus leggings, black boots, a silver scarf, a party badge, a Minions
backpack, and even the inflated balloons that decorated the room, which she eventually
wanted tidied up to her shoulders. It was her way to say that she was enjoying everything
we had prepared for her and wished to treasure it.
The two members of staff present that day supported
us in everything; all the staff that has been following her in these two years
(about six people in all) are so committed to her care and well being that they
have been nominated for an internal award, which I hope they will win as they
really deserve it.
At the end of the day we had the cake. Valentina was
delighted with it, she blew the candles and prompted us to clap our hands. Then
we cut it and she liked it so much that she had two big slices, about one third
of the whole cake.
On the whole the day went very smoothly and we had
great fun with her. It is unbelievable how much she has improved and how much
she can take part in family and community events now, coping with almost
everything, compared to two years ago, that is since she moved to the
residential school in Doncaster. We are so grateful and happy about all the
work the Hesley Group do for her and for the great achievements they attained
with our daughter.
Now Valentina is no more a ‘child’, bureaucratically
speaking, she is an ‘adult’. She will be out of education in about a year and a
half and new arrangements will be made for her by the social services. Let’s
hope they will be as good as they have been so far. As a family, we will always
be at her side, she is such a cracking irresistible young lady!
No comments:
Post a Comment