By Arthur’s mum, Clayre
Our son Arthur was born with a complex heart defect in August 2022. After 2 open heart surgeries and several months in hospital, we were given information about SAT by our Community Nurse during a home visit in 2023.
We are regular visitors at The Bluebells, attending the various events that they hold at their beautiful location. We also visit to use their Hydro Pool. You are always greeted with a big smile and a warm welcome. Our children love being there and feel very at home. We are very grateful to have a safe space for our family to visit and use the facilities, and to have the support of the staff there whether it’s a listening ear or to entertain the children.
The various playrooms are our favourite part, as the children love playing with the toys there and making friends with other children that are there – it’s beautiful to see them happy and free. The playground is another favourite; when the weather is nice, the garden is glorious and there is so much for the children to play with.
We were fortunate to have a weekend at an apartment last year. We had a great time and enjoyed using all the facilities. The apartments were beautifully decorated, had lots of toys and books for the children to amuse themselves with. It was so peaceful and tranquil there and we thoroughly enjoyed our morning swims which set us up for the day ahead.
The facilities in the apartments (we’ve stayed in both) were amazing. There was everything that we needed and more. We were very comfortable and enjoyed having so much space.
I don’t think there are many events that we don’t attend! If we can, we attend as many events as possible as they are always great fun, well thought out, and a great way to meet other families in similar situations to ours – reminding us that we are not alone on this journey.
The Christmas events are GREAT because the children love everything festive, and the excitement around Christmas is a wonderful thing to share with others.
The SAT events are specifically designed for families with children with disabilities and therefore, you don’t have to adapt to the event as the event is already.
There are so many favourite memories, it is really difficult to pinpoint one in particular. Every event we attend, we make precious memories that we will cherish forever, which is particularly poignant when you have a child with a life-limiting illness.
Our daughter attends the monthly Youth Club. She has a great time there and has made friends.