Family of disabled girl back mum's condemnation of government

Jan 23 2011 by Helen Rae, Sunday Sun

THE family of a disabled girl have backed a mother who condemned Prime Minister David Cameron for failing families who need respite care.

Earlier this week, exhausted Riven Vincent said she may be forced to put her daughter, Holly, into full-time care after being denied additional support from social services and she called upon the Government to provide more funding to help those with disabled children.

The six-year-old has severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy and epilepsy and requires round-the-clock care.

But her parents receive just six hours’ respite a week and, in a desperate plea posted on the parenting website Mumsnet, Ms Vincent announced she had asked social services to take Holly into care.

Parents Alison and Clint Law, of Wallsend, North Tyneside, know all too well the difficulties of looking after a disabled child 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and agreed with Ms Vincent the Government should do more.

Their wheelchair-bound daughter, Ellen, nine, has spinal muscular Atrophy Type II, meaning she has no control over her lower limbs, suffers from chest infections and requires a special diet.

The couple, who also have younger daughter Lucy, four, said St Oswald’s Hospice in Gosforth, Newcastle, looks after Ellen two nights a month but the help they received from community nurses in the region had gradually dwindled.

Alison, 45, said: “Respite care is so important for families who have a disabled child as it gives them a break and means they can spend some quality time with the other children they have.

“Ellen needs care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“She requires help through the night as she is unable to turn over herself – so I often get very little sleep and it can be tiring and mentally draining.

“Respite care is an extremely important aspect and something that is very much needed, without this essential help things can become overwhelming.”