A young boy from North Belfast was able to go on a dream trip to Disney thanks to the help of a charity.
Seven-year-old Daniel has complex medical needs and severe visual impairment. His difficult start in life included suffering four strokes in the womb and a brain haemorrhage, which severely damaged the left side of his brain, causing cysts to grow and leading to cerebral palsy.
Despite his premature birth at 32 weeks and his family being told he may not make it to six weeks old, Daniel has defied the odds. He is a wheelchair user and has severe learning disabilities, and his mum has praised the support given to them by the Family Fund over the years.
Read more: NI woman’s experience of stroke and locked in syndrome at 35
Read more: NI mum left feeling suicidal after lack of respite care for autistic son
The Family Fund is the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families on a low income raising a disabled or seriously ill child. Grants they offer include those to help families buy sensory toys, specialist bikes, kitchen appliances, days out, clothing, and family breaks.
In April this year, Daniel, his three-year-old brother Michael, and their parents were able to go on the trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Paris thanks to support from the charity.
Speaking to Belfast Live, his mum Michelle Petticrew said the Family Fund have been a massive support to the family over the years.
“Daniel is a wheelchair user and has severe learning disabilities. He’s completely dependent on me for most of his tasks. If he has dry foods, he’ll eat them himself, and when it comes to drinking there’s a certain bottle he can use to drink by himself,” she explained.
“But when it comes to personal care including bathing and washing, as well as changing nappies, he needs help.
“I knew very little about the Family Fund until our family support officer at Sense NI told us about it when Daniel was younger. I put in an application coming up to Christmas to help with getting some sensory toys, as they can be very expensive.
“The turnaround was so quick. I got vouchers for Learning Space to get the sensory toys, and it was amazing to see the improvements in him when he was using them.
“I bought him a bubble tube, fibre optics and so many other sensory items. He holds the bubble tube and feels the vibrations. But a few months in, I realised he is seeing more than I thought he was. He started to name the colours on the bubble tube, and name the shapes on his cards.”
Michelle said the family were overwhelmed to be able to go to Disney earlier this year, adding that seeing Daniel’s face light up as he went on the rides and met his favourite characters was a highlight.
She said: “Family Fund told us they do Inspired Holidays, and I decided to go on and apply but thought it would be Butlins or somewhere. But when I went on, you could apply to go to Disneyland Paris.
“I put an application in and couldn’t believe it when it was accepted. We went to Disney in April and the continuity of care with Daniel while we were away was amazing.
“People had told me how magical it was, but it was honestly just beyond incredible. Daniel had the time of his life on the rides, and the staff were so good.
“I explained that he had very limited vision, and they’d take his hands, and put them to their faces. Everyone really went above and beyond. My heart was bursting the whole time, seeing his face light up, Daniel absolutely loved it.
“We were able to bring them to see one of the fireworks displays, and that’s when we realised Daniel loves fireworks. It was just being able to see different things in him you maybe wouldn’t pick up on just sitting in the house, or going to the beach or park. It really was a once in a lifetime trip.”
The Family Fund are urging parents across Northern Ireland who are on low incomes and raising disabled or seriously ill children to apply for one of their support grants for essential items, family breaks, and more.
As for the support her family has received over the years, Michelle added: “Family Fund is life-changing. It’s like being told, ‘It’s okay, we have you and we want to look out for you’.
“Family Fund has given our family things that we could never have imagined. It’s allowed me to discover more about my child’s abilities, not his disabilities, and I’m so thankful.”
The Family Fund are holding events where families can meet representatives from the charity as well as a range of other organisations. The Belfast event will take place on November 5 at Girdwood Community Hub, with more details here.
An event will also take place in Portadown on November 6 in Millennium Court, with more details here. You can find out more about the Family Fund’s grants by clicking here.
Click this link or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
