Dear Patti,
We are delighted to let you know that Jack’s new special needs bed has arrived, and is more wonderful than we could have imagined. We are deeply grateful for your generous donation to help us source this incredible piece of safety equipment for Jack.
I have enclosed some photos and videos of Jack exploring the bed when it first arrived, which show how delighted he is with it. You are welcome to use these as you wish.
I have also written a quote below. You are welcome to reference any of this if you wish, as to how your precious funds are making a difference, though I know you wanted to remain anonymous.
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“Jack has a diagnosis of Sotos Syndrome, a rare genetic syndrome that means he has significant mental and physical limitations, as well as epilepsy and autism. Jack has roughly the mental capacity of an 18 month old child, is the size of a 14 year old, and yet he is 9 years old. It is a difficult combination! He is not toilet trained, has extremely limited understanding of danger, lacks the ability to engage in simple tasks, and can communicate only with limited words. He is also a loving, happy child with a wonderful sense of humour despite all he has been through.
A special needs bed space for Jack was critical to ensure he did not wander around the house at night without supervision, and to also serve as a safe space to direct him to during the day should his behaviour become physical towards his family.
The ‘SafeSpace’ bed that best suited Jack’s needs, and would last him well into adulthood, would cost £8,700. As with all special needs equipment, the costs were eye-watering. The family decided to explore whether any funding might be available to help source the bed. We’ll admit we didn’t feel very hopeful, as it seemed such a huge amount to fundraise.
Your incredibly generous donation of £100, together with that of other charities, has enabled us to achieve the impossible, and buy this bed for Jack. We never in our wildest dreams thought we would be able to raise enough money to buy the bed for Jack. We have been overwhelmed with the support and generosity we have received, and the empathy for Jack’s wellbeing.
Jack adores the bed already, and will often take himself there during the day to play, and is happy to snuggle in there at night. As a family it is incredibly reassuring to know that he is safe from danger at night. And with the amazing design of the bed having windows, we are also able to easily check on Jack for any nighttime seizures. As Jack grows bigger and stronger, it is also reassuring to know we have a safe and familiar area to direct him towards to calm down when he becomes frustrated and his behaviour is physical towards us or his siblings. The bed has been designed to be longer than a typical bed, as Jack is very tall, so the bed will last him well into adulthood too.
If Jack could thank you, we know that he would, together with lots of hugs and kisses.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making such a huge difference to Jack’s life, and that of his family. “
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Thank you so very much again for your incredibly kind donation of £100. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Best wishes,
Rachel, Jack and family xx