Be the difference for disabled children and their families this Christmas 

Every day, more families are turning to Scope for the support they need. Since the pandemic, life has become harder than ever for parents of disabled children.

Jessica is one of these parents and has shared her story below. Scope was there to give Jessica and her family the support they needed. But there are still many more families struggling with nowhere to turn.

This Christmas we want to be there to provide vital support to 35,000 families, but it costs £213,505 to run our family support services over the festive period. 

Please donate today to make sure families just like Jessica’s get the vital support they need this Christmas.

Jessica and Harry’s story

My name is Jessica, and I wanted to share with you our family’s story.

My wonderful little boy Harry was around 15 months old when we noticed something change in him. Before then, Harry was always chatting away. He used to giggle as he said his favourite words.

But then almost as soon as Harry had started speaking, he stopped. We noticed he was gradually becoming quieter and more withdrawn. Honestly, it broke my heart. It felt like my chatty, funny, little baby boy had gone. We took him to see the doctor, and soon afterwards we found out Harry is autistic.

At that moment, I felt lost and totally alone. Everything seemed completely overwhelming. I felt scared for Harry and I had so many questions. It seemed like our future had changed forever, and suddenly I felt totally unprepared. I laid awake at night worrying. I didn’t know anyone I could talk to who would understand. All of my expectations had been turned on their head.

“I felt lost and totally alone. Everything seemed completely overwhelming”

It was then that I found Scope, and they really made a difference to my life. By donating to Scope today, you could be the difference for another parent who right now feels as confused and scared as I once did.

I was getting really stressed about everything, so much so that I had to take time off from my job. Back then I was terrified and even blamed myself, but my contact at Scope was so helpful and caring. For me, it was the first step towards letting go of my old expectations and embracing all of the joy and magic that Harry brings to our lives.

"Finding someone who understood"

Ever since we first noticed a change in Harry, people would tell me they understood what I was going through. But unless you’ve been in the same situation, you really can’t understand.

That’s why I honestly can’t tell you what it meant when Scope put me in touch with Rachel, another mum who lives nearby and also has a child who is autistic. I met Rachel though Navigate, Scope’s parent mentoring service. That was 18 months ago, and today she is my best friend and her son is Harry’s best friend. We talk every day. We even bubbled up during the pandemic. Meeting Rachel has changed everything. Now I always have someone close by who has been in the same situations as me, who has had the same questions, who can give me advice and share experiences.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, Scope’s support helped me find my village, and I’ll be grateful for that forever”

Today I have the confidence to let go of my expectations and do what’s best for Harry and for our family.

This Christmas we’ll be celebrating in our own special way. Harry used to find Christmas too bright and too much, so now we just have a few presents and keep the day really relaxed. Harry likes it like that, and so do we.

Across the UK today, many parents of disabled children are struggling like I once did. It’s never been harder for parents of disabled children to speak to someone who understands. Since the fallout of the pandemic, Scope’s services are in higher demand than ever – which is why your support is needed so urgently.

Thank you so much.

Jessica

You can be the difference for disabled children this Christmas

Please donate today so that families just like Jessica's can get the support they need in time for Christmas.