Buckie mum hopes to raise thousands to restore "safe space" for complex needs son
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A BUCKIE mum has launched an online fundraiser in the hope of restoring her complex needs son's "safe space".
Liza Hendry's son Corey (16) has Down's syndrome and autism. He cannot talk, has partial hearing loss, low muscle tone and hyper-mobility.
He's also a "complete bundle of mischief" according to Liza.
However, recently he has not been able to indulge in one of his favourite past times: swimming in a therapeutic hot tub which Liza says is vital for his physical and mental wellbeing.
Liza said: "He has stroppy teenage moments but mentally he's a toddler.
"He doesn't understand what to do and what not to do. He goes to the special education department at Buckie High and that's most of his days.
"He's very isolated but he loves water. He goes swimming at school and I think that's his favourite time of day.
"We had inflatable hot tubs for him at home. It was his safe space but he would burst them playing with his toys and things like that.
"He just doesn't understand that if he pokes and stabs his toys into the fabric it will burst it.
"There would be no point buying another inflatable one because the same thing will happen again.
"We're just getting a bit frustrated because we know things like this help him but it's just too expensive."
Corey often needs to use a wheelchair because of pain in his legs.
However, using the hot tub at home helped ease his discomfort but Liza says explaining its absence has been a challenge.
"He's wondering where it has gone," she said.
"His long-term memory isn't great so he think's it's still there.
"It's been a real struggle and it was one of the few things that we could do as a family with him that he really enjoyed.
"It just helps him feel more comfortable and it settles him down."
The solution, Liza says, is to buy a permanent hot tub which Corey could use indefinitely without any threat of it breaking.
However, at a cost of thousands of pounds, Liza admits the family will need help to purchase one.
That is why she has set up an online fundraiser with a target of £7000.
"It would be solid so he wouldn't be able to break it," she added.
"It would be a long-term sustainable solution. It's not going anywhere, it's not going to burst and it would give us our family time back.
"It's one of the few things that he really enjoys."
Visit Liza's fundraising page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/trying-to-raise-funds-for-vital-medical-equipment
