Tom visited with his mum Jane,
and enabler Sarah
After their stay in February 2023, Jane took the time to tell us more about Tom and their visit to Calvert Exmoor.
In Jane’s own words…
After their stay in February 2023, Jane took the time to tell us more about Tom and their visit to Calvert Exmoor.
In Jane’s own words…
“Tom (aged 23 at the time of the visit) has Angelman’s Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the nervous system and causes severe physical and learning difficulties.
He is also on the autistic spectrum and is non-verbal apart from a few monosyllabic words, though he communicates to a certain extent through the use of Makaton/PECS symbols and signing.
I was looking for somewhere for Tom to start going on short breaks and initially heard about Calvert Exmoor from CEDA (Community Equality Disability Action) in Exeter, who have been providing support for Tom for the past 5 years.
CEDA have accompanied many of their service users to Calvert Exmoor over the years so knew they could cater for Tom’s needs. Tom, therefore, went on his very first short break with Sarah from CEDA, and myself.
Tom had the most amazing time – we all did!
He clearly felt immediately at home in his surroundings and loved the fact there were “friends” – other young people with parents/enablers on site. He was also very happy to find out the dining room was just across the courtyard from our apartment!
During the weekend he tried a few rope-based activities, which amazed me, given his nervousness about trying anything new. Tom can walk, but tires very quickly and has coordination and balance issues. He was nervous even getting into the harness and needed lots of encouragement, but he had a go at crate-stacking and the zip wire and was extremely proud of himself afterwards!
He loved the pool session and triking around the lake, activities he already knew well. Tom actually has his own recumbent trike at home and rides on a regular basis, but here he had the added pleasure of triking in a group, following each other around the lake and meeting at regular intervals – he was so happy!
My presence was essentially to reassure Tom and help him relax on his first weekend on-site, as next time he will be going with enablers only (this will be a massive step for him!).
Even though Tom loves to be around other people, he can suffer from extreme anxiety in new places or situations, therefore we needed to do everything possible to help him settle and make the weekend a positive experience.
Sarah’s presence was also important as she is someone Tom already knows and trusts … as it happens, they had so much fun together during the weekend, a real bond was created between them, which was lovely to see!
The stunning setting, wonderful facilities and activities on offer are truly amazing and Tom did have a fantastic time, as did we all.
However, as a parent, there was something else that struck me and that took me unawares: how lovely it was to take Tom somewhere where I didn’t have to worry about him being different!
It has to be said, Tom never goes unnoticed in public: his physique accompanied by everything about him, from the way he walks to the noises he makes, to certain behaviours, make him stand out. Someone once described his arrival in a room as a “joyful tidal wave,” which I think sums things up quite nicely!
However, this means that taking Tom anywhere has to be well planned and even when it is, something may still occur that will make me wish we hadn’t bothered! People in general are very kind and understanding when they come face-to-face with Tom, but as a parent I feel constantly on alert in public places, as I can never be sure what will happen and how people will react.
So for me, the most wonderful thing of all at Calvert Trust was to find ourselves somewhere where we felt truly welcome and where I could relax with Tom without worrying about offending, shocking or providing entertainment for others!
Tom will be going back to Calvert Trust soon on a short break with CEDA, but I also plan to take him back there myself on a family holiday in the near future.”
Our thanks to Tom for being a lovely guest and to Jane for sharing this wonderful story, we look forward to seeing Tom, Sarah and Jane again very soon!
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