Roisin and Ashley's Story

‘My son has a life now. I never thought it would happen’

It feels like a miracle. Three years after the phone rang, I am seeing things I thought I would never see again.

My son Ashley, 21, who has severe learning disabilities, non verbal autism, and epilepsy, was living in a specialist unit in England when I got the call from Aberlour wanting to help us bring him home.

The team had already thrown our family a lifeline once before when they offered us respite care when Ashley was in his early teens.

They kept in touch even though they didn’t have to but just because they cared. Then, after all that had happened, they came to our rescue again.

I don’t have the words to express how much that meant. The staff are just another level and allowing us to bring Ashley home to Scotland was literally life-changing for all of us.

What they do is so important and so badly needed. The services they provide, like respite care, can be the difference between families being able to take a breath or burning out.

Slowly, Ashley has been brought out of his shell, out of darkness and into the light. He has a life now.

This is a boy who never left his bed for nine years. He never had a life and now he is leading a fulfilling life. I never thought it would happen.

Aberlour saved our family.

Roisin

Ashley's Mum

This article was written as part of the 'We are family' special edition supplement with the Sunday Post.