‘Charity was invaluable. It gave us a life again’ – mother on respite care
A BUSY mother whose daughter suffers from an extremely rare disorder requiring round-the-clock care credits a leading children’s charity with giving her back her life.
Angelina Hynes (41), a married mother-of-three and guard based in Co Galway, said that without the Jack and Jill Foundation, she would have no support.
Her daughter Zoe (6) was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic condition called Pitt Hopkins Syndrome. The condition is marked by severe developmental and neurological disability, leaving her non-verbal and confined to a wheelchair.
“We needed somebody to come in and take care of Zoe so I could do stuff with the other children. But until Jack and Jill arrived that didn’t happen. We had no support,” she said. But thanks to the charity – which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year – Ms Hynes said she knew her daughter “was in good hands and I could leave the house and know she was fine”.
“Jack and Jill was just invaluable,” she added.
She made the comments after the charity announced it will spend an extra €286,000 a year to extend its service to children up to the age of five from the current age of four.
The charity has raised €30m since its inception to provide respite care to parents of children living with terminal illnesses or who have developmental or physical disabilities.