Happy New Year
We hope that everyone had a peaceful and happy Christmas and wish you all a peaceful and calm new year.
As for many of you who have caring responsibilities like us, Christmas maybe different from our expectations of old. Zach does enjoy Christmas, he loves the hustle and bustle and the three of us being together and relaxed. Sadly we don’t get many visitors at Christmas now that Zach is grown up but he, and we, enjoy those we do get.
I watched ‘Call the Midwife’ on Christmas Day. I do enjoy it and as a nurse often find myself wishing that nursing was still as it is portrayed in the program. More time for the patients and looking at their whole person rather than just the diagnosis. The Christmas special featured the Mullucks Family, who have a daughter who was born with Thalidamide. Her parents wanted so much for their beautiful daughter and were fighting to ensure she was happy and living a fulfilled life. The father was struggling with alcohol which he was using to escape the realities of having a child who has additional needs.
A particularly poignant moment was when he spoke of the fight to get her what she needed, to make sure she was involved in the same way other children were, that her education was right for her and his concerns for her future.
This was 1967, it hit me hard that we are still all fighting for these things though thankfully thalidomide is a thing of the past. Children and adults who have disabilities are still not given equal chances and their futures uncertain and dependent on the quality of care and education which they receive.
On a more cheerful note, Zach went to the relaxed carol concert at The Royal Albert Hall just before Christmas, for anyone who has a relative who loves music I cannot recommend these performances enough, and the Christmas concert is a joyful celebration including an orchestra, amazing lights and a beautiful choir.
Anyway…I have deviated from my Happy New Year theme, which is what I really wanted to say.
We have some new ideas for 2023 and are hoping it will be another great year for Spectrum of Misconception. If you know of a similar enterprise which involves people who have autism and they are making something which would be a good fit for our enterprise and our mission please do get in touch.
We hope to hear from you.
Royal Albert Hall December 2022
