Respite a saviour for family

When Sandy Cropp and Dean Higgs found out they were pregnant with their third child, they didn’t know if they could do it again – would the baby be healthy? Would she live a happy life? Could they cope?

At a moment which should be one of the happiest of their lives, Sandy and Dean were scared; their biggest fear – would this baby have Smith-Magenis Syndrome too?

“A developmental disorder which affects around 1 in 25,000 people, our middle child Rhiannon’s diagnosis of Smith-Magenis Syndrome came on the same day we found out we were pregnant with our youngest Billie-Rose,” Sandy says.

Now 13, Billie-Rose and her 20 year-old brother Travis smile when they talk of their 18 year-old Rhiannon, but it hasn’t been an easy road for the family.

“Feelings of hopelessness are common, especially because trying to access any service is really hard work. It can also be financially debilitating – respite really was our saviour,” Sandy says.

Rhiannon accesses six days of respite services and Sandy and Dean say it is amazing what even just a few hours of support can do for their family: “Although it may not seem like much, it means we can go and watch Billie-Rose play tennis and spend quality time with Travis. We can be there to support all of our kids.”

Although respite is a lifeline for many, it comes at a significant cost and Minda is only able to provide the service to a small number of families, with many on a waiting list – caring parents and siblings who are desperately in need of a break.

“Your continued support of Minda can make all the difference to families like ours. We can be positive about Rhiannon’s future and know that we have ongoing access to high-quality and vital services she needs,” say Sandy and Dean.

“Minda have done so much for us as a family; we can’t thank them enough.”