12th May 2025 A New Chapter for Chester and his Family: Finding Happiness with Rose Road
Chester has always been a happy boy, but the past year was especially difficult for him and his family. His mum Kate explains:
“Chester was born with a rare genetic condition that causes a developmental delay and severe scoliosis and he has always needed 24-hour personal care and support to keep him well and comfortable. He wakes regularly at night; I get up every two hours and it can take up to 45-minutes to do everything needed to make him comfortable again.
But last year, due to his worsening health, he needed major life-saving scoliosis surgery, which was incredibly difficult and came with a long recovery. Alongside this, we were dealing with a separate family crisis that needed so much of my time and energy.
I was exhausted.
Then Chester started attending Rose Road, and I can honestly say he is the happiest he’s ever been, and we as a family have enjoyed more rest, flexibility and freedom than we ever had before!
When the minibus turns up, Chester gets so excited! He squeezes his fists and squeals and beams with pure excitement, knowing he’s going to have a great time.
He gets to go to cycling on the accessible bikes, to the farm, swimming in the hydropool, to the soft play space at Rose Road, they take him out for meals and he gets to socialise with friends. He’s always been a social butterfly and now he’s doing what every 15 year old wants to do – be with his friends and having fun, not stuck at home with us!
Family life had always felt fragmented until now, too. Days out were always split as one parent took the children out and one stayed home with Chester. It limited where we could go and what we could experience together.
But now, while Chester stays at Rose Road, we can spend quality time with our other children and get to know them better! Whether it’s a trip to the beach or shopping with my daughter, I have the freedom to say yes!
My eldest lives in a flat in Scotland, and we’re all flying up there to visit him for the first time. We’re even saving up our nights for our first holiday abroad this Summer. Chester can’t sit in the sun and wouldn’t enjoy the trip in the same way, so it’s amazing to know he’ll be having the time of his life with Rose Road while we’re away.
We can go online check on him when we’re away too and see notes and photos of what he’s been doing, so he never feels too far away.
Beyond the practical benefits, it’s amazing to see that Chester is just more excited by life now, his mental health has massively improved and he’s always laughing and happy.
And the freedom and chance to rest has been wonderful. We didn’t know how isolated we were until we had Rose Road; his Dad and I couldn’t be more thrilled - it has just improved all our lives dramatically.
His Support Worker Lauren says:
“Chester is an absolute delight to support! I’ve been having him since November 2024, and the relationship we’ve developed is incredible! we start off each session with a dance and sing in the car to Elvis Presley (Chester’s favourite) and we’ve been getting to try new activities such as exploring Bournemouth at Christmas, eating out, swimming in the hydropool and so much more!
A recent favourite of Chester’s has been going in the ball pit, he was unsure at first, but was using guided hand over hand support to throw the balls which he loved and found so funny!"
"Chester’s confidence has come on leaps and bounds, he is so much happier to come out, and doesn’t stop smiling and laughing throughout his sessions with us!“
Leave a Legacy of more smiles and happiness with a gift in your Will
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If you already have a Will and wish to leave a gift to Rose Road, simply send your solicitor our charity name (The Rose Road Association), number (276172) and the amount wish to leave us - it's that easy!
And don't worry, leaving a gift in your Will doesn't mean choosing between looking after loved ones or a charity close to your heart. You could leave just 1% to Rose Road, and loved ones still inherit 99%.
A gift of any size will help ensure Rose Road will be here for future generations of diasbled children and young people for years to come.
