Toby joined us for our 2018 "10th year anniversary" pilgrimage. I think his joyful smile leaves no doubt as to whether HE had a fantastic week, and we certainly loved his company.
So it was with great excitement that we received the news that our son Toby was invited to join the 2018 trip to Lourdes with HCPT 170. What a great adventure! He'd love it, all that attention, lots of things to do, some independence from his parents. And then we sat down and thought about it....
What if he's unwell, chokes on his food, breaks his glasses, gets run over by a bus!! How could we be so awful handing over our pride and joy and having him out of our sight for so long. Far longer than ever before in his 11 years....
But then we hadn't reckoned on our very well organised friends at HCPT. It was almost as if they had anticipated our every concern and then some. We had prior visits from his Group Leaders and carers. Every angle of Toby's life and his habits were considered and re-considered. No question was off the table. The fact that he had to sleep with Spotty the dog or he clicked 4 times if he needed the loo didn't feel daft. It felt right. He was in good hands...
And so off he went. Our gorgeous boy, born at just 1lb 12oz with no lungs, no functioning limbs but with huge emotional intelligence and the biggest ever smile, off he went to Lourdes. We had handed him over and he wasn't in our care and that was a big deal...
So then we did what came naturally. Mummy cried and Daddy logged in to his plane tracker app to follow it on route. It was huge relief when we received news that he'd arrived safely, eaten his tea and was still smiling. From then on it got easier. Day 3 and although he'd broken his glasses, of course he was going to do that, he hadn't been run over by a bus and was actually enjoying himself very much. The texts and pictures we were getting on a regular basis showed just what a fantastic experience he was having, making lots of new friends in the process. The live streaming of the celebratory mass in the Cathedral was mesmerising. Such a profound sense of joy and purpose. We felt so lucky to have had the chance to let him go and there was no doubt in our minds that this was a huge opportunity for him. It was the right decision and he was incredibly well looked after...
And so he came home after a week. Daddy of course tracked the plane all the way back! An abiding memory was the clapping and cheering that each one of the little adventurers received as they got off the bus in Southampton. Sheer delight on their faces, such pride, a huge sense of achievement all round.
Certain things in life surprise you, some surpass your expectations, few are memorable for a lifetime. This, without doubt, was memory making at a whole new level. Who would have thought it or dared to believe that our son Toby would have managed a trip like that. Well he did and he loved it.
What if he's unwell, chokes on his food, breaks his glasses, gets run over by a bus!! How could we be so awful handing over our pride and joy and having him out of our sight for so long. Far longer than ever before in his 11 years....
But then we hadn't reckoned on our very well organised friends at HCPT. It was almost as if they had anticipated our every concern and then some. We had prior visits from his Group Leaders and carers. Every angle of Toby's life and his habits were considered and re-considered. No question was off the table. The fact that he had to sleep with Spotty the dog or he clicked 4 times if he needed the loo didn't feel daft. It felt right. He was in good hands...
And so off he went. Our gorgeous boy, born at just 1lb 12oz with no lungs, no functioning limbs but with huge emotional intelligence and the biggest ever smile, off he went to Lourdes. We had handed him over and he wasn't in our care and that was a big deal...
So then we did what came naturally. Mummy cried and Daddy logged in to his plane tracker app to follow it on route. It was huge relief when we received news that he'd arrived safely, eaten his tea and was still smiling. From then on it got easier. Day 3 and although he'd broken his glasses, of course he was going to do that, he hadn't been run over by a bus and was actually enjoying himself very much. The texts and pictures we were getting on a regular basis showed just what a fantastic experience he was having, making lots of new friends in the process. The live streaming of the celebratory mass in the Cathedral was mesmerising. Such a profound sense of joy and purpose. We felt so lucky to have had the chance to let him go and there was no doubt in our minds that this was a huge opportunity for him. It was the right decision and he was incredibly well looked after...
And so he came home after a week. Daddy of course tracked the plane all the way back! An abiding memory was the clapping and cheering that each one of the little adventurers received as they got off the bus in Southampton. Sheer delight on their faces, such pride, a huge sense of achievement all round.
Certain things in life surprise you, some surpass your expectations, few are memorable for a lifetime. This, without doubt, was memory making at a whole new level. Who would have thought it or dared to believe that our son Toby would have managed a trip like that. Well he did and he loved it.
