Cri-Du-Chat Syndrome Support Group

This is the text of an article we had published earlier this year by a local newspaper, during National Carers Week. We wanted to highlight the good work that foster-parents do, instead of the usual stories about children being taken into care. We also wanted to say thank you to Mike and Sue for everything they have done for us. 

Wonderful Foster Parents

Our daughter Charlotte was born on 31st March 1990 at Warrington General Hospital. The pregnancy had been very straight-forward until 32 weeks, when a routine ultrasound scan revealed that our baby's head was smaller than usual. I knew, because of my training, that there could be something seriously wrong with our baby. Charlotte was only 9 hours old when we were told that she had a very rare chromosome abnormality called Cri-Du-Chat syndrome.

We were told she would probably never walk or talk, and might not be able to do much more than smile. I am a Registered Sick Children's Nurse, working in the paediatric oncology department the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. Every day I look after children who are having treatment for leukaemia or cancer. The thought of having a child of our own with a serious handicap filled us with dread. Jeff and I did not know if we would be able to look after her. Would we be able to do all the right things for her ?. Would she be looked after better if she was adopted ?. We didn't know the answers, and needed some time to decide what was best.

In order to give us that time, the Social Services department suggested that Charlotte could go into voluntary short term foster care. The foster parents chosen by Social Services were Mike and Sue Povah, who also live in Culcheth. Charlotte went to stay with them when she was 3½ weeks old. She immediately became one of the family. We could see how much they loved Charlotte, even though she wasn't their own daughter.

Mike and Sue had already opened their hearts and home to Anne and Dawn, two young adults with special needs. They had also adopted Debbie when she was 3 years old. Debbie is now 12, and is very severely handicapped, both mentally and physically. Mike and Sue also have two children of their own, Lisa and John, both of who work with mentally handicapped adults. Every weekend the whole family, including Charlotte, would go away in their motor caravan to events all over the country. Charlotte was treated wonderfully by everyone who they met.

Our daughter stayed with Mike and Sue for nearly three months. During this time we investigated every option available. We looked at adoption, we looked at long-term fostering, and we looked at residential care. We were given lots of help by Social Services and the various agencies, but it was Mike and Sue's love and support which convinced us we could look after Charlotte ourselves. We spent many hours talking with them about what was best for Charlotte, but Mike and Sue never tried to persuade us one way or the other. We brought Charlotte home on 19th July 1990, when she was 3½ months old.

Mike and Sue have continued to be our 'Respite Family', provided by Social Services for the times when natural parents need a break from the rigours of looking after a handicapped child. We don't know what the outcome would have been without them. There aren't many people like Mike and Sue, we will always be grateful to them and thank them for their care and support. They are now part of our family and we couldn't manage without them.

As Mike and Sue predicted, Charlotte walked when she was 4 years old, can say 2 words and now has an extensive vocabulary of Makaton - a type of sign language. She's a wonderful little girl, full of love and cuddles for everyone she meets, and we would never be without her.

Sian Noneley 

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