‘ They have totally embraced Niall... I didn’t think families like these existed’
O’DRISCOLL FAMILY ON SUCCESS OF ‘ HOME TO HOME’
Niamh O’ Driscoll is a mother of two from Ballisodare.
Her 11- year- old son, Niall, has Down Syndrome.
Four years ago, the family started using a scheme that provides an opportunity for a child or an adult with special needs to receive respite care with another family.
Niamh explained: “Niall is a great lad, he is very sociable and enjoys being a 5th class student in St John’s NS.
“When you have a young child with special needs, things are away out there initially.
“I suppose it is so close but yet so far, they still have an intellectual disability, they are different from other children.
“I was working but decided after Niall was born to become a stay at home mum.
“I said that I would like to give him my time.
“Niall has Down Syndrome but thankfully he doesn’t have any of the associated problems that are common, such as heart or bowel problems.”
He spent some days in a respite home for children but Niamh said that she really didn’t feel that it was an ideal situation for him, as many of the children had greater needs than him.
“I learned about the Home to Home scheme from a friend of mine, Mary Gilmartin who works with the HSE.
“She mentioned it to me and explained that there was a family in mind.”
Niamh added: “When we were driving out to meet them first, we were going up these country lanes and I thought we were lost! “Niall was around seven years old. “The minute I met them, I didn’t think that families like them existed. “I get emotional thinking about them.” Niamh added: “They have just embraced Niall, you never go up there and the children are sitting around, there is always an activity going on.
“Generally when I’m going to collect Niall, he is outside playing football with the whole family.
“He loves spending time with their animals, including rabbits and hens.
“They have made him very much a part of their family.”
She added that she knows if emergency respite was ever required, that the family would be there for her.
“Niall goes up to the host family maybe once or twice a month from early afternoon to around 9pm. “It is Niall’s place to go. “When we arrive, he says to me, ‘ mum you can go now.’
“Playdates or sleepovers don’t happen too much for children with special needs; this is Niall’s way of being independent. “He would be having a good week at school because he knows that he is going to the host family at the weekend.”
Niamh said that as she is originally from Ballina, the family don’t have cousins in the vicinity.
“My husband works too, we have been so lucky to avail of the Home to Home scheme.
“We have been so lucky with the family that we have.”
The Home to Home co- ordinator in the area is Una McDermott, if you are interested in becoming a host familly, contact Una on 071 9135064 The scheme is run by the HSE and the Carers Association, in association with The Genio Trust.