I’ve long had an interest in the use of therapies such as Massage & Reflexology on people with special needs.  Over the last year I have had the privelege of treating Matthew. Initially I hoped to use reflexology but the first lesson I learned from Matthew was that He was the Boss.  He was very quick to indicate to me he didn’t like Reflexology but loved Massage.

 While it can take some time to settle Matthew onto the massage table and get him comfortable, its not long once treatment starts that he settles down & relaxes. Matthew reveals to me what he wants whether it is his back, hands or feet and sometimes he likes all three!!!! 

Matthew is hyper active throughout the day, constantly on the go and would rarely sit down or relax. The positive effects of the massage is that Matthew becomes very relaxed & much calmer very quickly.  Relaxation can combat fatigue & anxiety, lower blood pressure & heart rate and boost circulation which are all hugely beneficial for Matthew.  Also Matthews muscles can be very tight & as I massage them I can feel his tension breakdown.

Matthew & I are building a lovely relationship & I look forward to continuing my work with  him.

As the training for this year’s cycle to Sligo intensifies, Lesa and I want to provide some updates over the coming weeks to let you know where the money you raised previously has been spent. Without your amazing support, our life would be totally different and we find it very hard to express our deep appreciation for the efforts of all involved.

As you may know, Matthew has a unique set of requirements and day to day living can be very difficult for him and therefore us, as a family. An ongoing challenge that we faced was getting Matthew safely to and from the school bus & carer’s car that picked him up and dropped him back to our home.  This was a particularly stressful time from Matthew and he often got extremely anxious during the transition.  This resulted in many incidents where he ran out onto the road and it often took Lesa or I over an hour trying to calm Matt down and coax him into the safety of our home.  In these situations, Matthew has no appreciation of road safety but thankfully he was not hurt or seriously injured.

Thanks to the Trust, we were able to arrange to get a secure gate and hedging fitted in our front garden to prevent Matt from running out and onto the road. The change has been dramatic and has made a significant difference for Matt.  Now anybody, including his carers, can simply drive into the driveway and close the gate behind them, safe in the knowledge that Matthew can transition without anxieties, dangers and worries.  He is now much calmer at these times and it has made the process far less stressful for everybody.

We will provide some more updates over the coming weeks as to where your hard earned money is being spent. In the meantime, enjoy the training and thank you again for your kind support.

Kevin and Lesa