Additional Needs

Teamwork

Posted by Carolyn Voisey on 23rd July 2021 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Disabilities

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Allow me to say this first – this post will not be for everyone. Not every father is a good Dad. Maybe you are a Mum doing this parenthood thing on your own, you have my deepest unending respect because this gig is H.A.R.D.  Kudos to you ladies.

It is cliché, but anyone can be a father. It takes a real man to be a Dad. Whether they are the biological parents of their children or not, it doesn’t matter if they are married to their children's mother, separated, live together or apart, a good Dad is worth their weight in gold. My brother is father to three beautiful children, one he shares with his wife, one he became father to when he first met her, and one he shares with his former partner. He is devoted to all three and adores them equally. My own Dad passed away 4 years ago and there is not a moment when I don’t miss him – not only was he a great Dad but he was an amazing and very proud Grandpa too. He never doubted Sam would be ok for one second. He wasn’t wrong either.

Sam’s Dad is very much Sam’s Hero.

In addition to the usual Dad-stuff of playing with LEGO, reading stories, generally being silly, he is Chief Nappy Changer, Chef, School transport escort, and therapist. He doesn’t just share the burden of special needs parenting; he takes the brunt of it. When we found our backs against the wall 5 years ago, it was Mr V who quit work to become a full-time carer for Sam. He takes our son to all his hospital appointments (I go when I can), he manages Sam’s medications, continence needs and meal times.

In many ways, we are a very modern family where the parents have experienced an almost complete role reversal. And he never complains. Not ever. He is the lynch pin that holds things together, and yet he doesn’t see what he does as anything special. To him, he just does what any Dad would do for the son he completely adores. Sam and I are very much aware of how lucky we are to have him.