I was with other mums who didn’t judge me
When it comes to describing how important Home-Start has been to her and son Craig, Sherry Houlihan does not mince her words.
“If it hadn’t been for them, I’d probably be in prison and he would be dead.” And she is not being dramatic. After bringing Craig home from hospital as a newborn, Sherry barely survived the first five months with a baby who screamed all the time and only slept in 15-minute bursts.
Since he was gaining weight and was not vomiting, doctors assumed it was just colic and he would eventually settle down.
But Craig was lactose-intolerant and this was only discovered when he was five months old after Sherry had been driven to the brink of despair.
She said: “Until I had Craig I never understood how a mother could shake her baby.
“But now I do. I used to leave him in the living room and walk out into the garden to stop myself from doing something terrible. “I was so desperate.” Even when Craig’s problem was diagnosed it was not all plain sailing for the family, who also have daughter Kaitlan (12).
Sherry (45) explained: “Once he was put on to lactose-free milk it was like we were dealing with a newborn again.
“He started sleeping for an hour or so. The screaming wasn’t as constant.
“But it was still a long journey to sleeping through the night, which he didn’t do consistently until he was about two years old.”
Medics have now discovered Craig is lactose and soya-intolerant and they may test for other allergies in the five-
I’ll start training as a volunteer when Craig starts school, just to give something back
year-old, who starts Cowie Primary School in August.
But Sherry will never forget the early days when partner Jeff McGhie (41) would come home from work as a Network Rail manager and take Craig so she could have two hours sleep per day.
Her health visitor referred her to Home-Start when Craig was four months old and the charity got her into one of its mother-and-baby groups while she was on the waiting list for a volunteer to help her out at home.
She said: “I left that first group looking forward to coming back again in seven days’ time. For once I was with other mums who understood and didn’t judge me.”
When Craig was seven months old volunteer Elaine began visiting once a week to take him on trips out so his mum could get a few hours to herself.
Sherry said: “Craig loved her. He’d stand at the window, watching for her car pulling in each week.
“I’d have a nap or just a coffee in peace. It was brilliant.”
For Sherry Home-Start showed her a light at the end of the tunnel when she was at breaking point.
“I’m so grateful to them,” she said. “I plan to start training as a volunteer when Craig starts school, just to give something back. I owe them so much.”