I haven’t taken Jethro on an airplane yet. For me, the thought it too anxiety inducing. I think every family has to do what is comfortable for them, for us this means we have stuck to the UK shores so far. I’m sure one day I might be brave enough to take him abroad, until then though, we will continue to enjoy holidays here in Blighty!
We are Midlands based, and Jethro absolutely adores the sensory heaven that is the sea, so during the holiday season, this is where we tend to head. For me, holidaying within the UK carries a little less anxiety regarding the shunt and any potential complications it may present. I like the fact that usually we are within three or four hours of home so if we really needed to, we could come home. However, this would be a last resort for us as thankfully there are plenty of hospitals that could initially stabilise Jethro if the worst were to happen. It’s always handy to be familiar with the most local children’s hospital when we are away so that we could head straight there if we suspected a shunt malfunction.
With the hospitals in the UK being funded by the NHS there will be no financial implications for us to access treatment for him if he needed it (with the exception of the Channel Islands and Ireland). Holidaying here means I can take the level of worry away as I know I won’t have to consider cost during an emergency. I always take his shunt information pack with us wherever we go so that information can be handed over easily to any unfamiliar neurosurgical teams. This will hopefully streamline any urgent care that is required and allow for accurate information to be readily available.
As a family we have spent a lot of our time on the South Coast where we have found a lot of beaches to be accessible. We have really enjoyed Weymouth as there are ramps from the promenade down to the beach, the water is quite calm there and allows Jethro to explore somewhat independently.
We most recently were holidaying near Bournemouth and again found the beaches mostly accessible. We were unable to use a wheelchair on Bournemouth beach but the access to the sand is flat so the chair can be taken right to the beach, and we can assist Jethro to walk from there.
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The parking for both of these destinations is the town/city centre and whilst plentiful can provide a walk from town to the shore. Especially during peak season when the beach side parking will fill quite quickly.
Here’s my top tips:
- https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Leisure-culture-and-local-heritage/Beaches-and-quays/Accessible-seafront.aspx
- https://passengerassistance.com/blog/best-uk-wheelchair-accessible-beaches-passenger-assistance/
- Consider holiday insurance, even if in the UK. This covers you if you have to cancel
- Take up to date medical information which can be easily accessed
- Work out where your nearest pediatric neurosurgical hospital is to where you are staying.
We have, however, found a beach that has great parking, concrete paths onto the sand and towards the shore, and the water is calm enough for Jethro to explore. This sandbanks beach near Poole. When we visited in 2022 the British weather was on our side, and it genuinely felt like we were abroad. For more info on Sandbanks beach, you can head here https://www.sandbanksbeach.co.uk/
The most important thing for us with a holiday is knowing our boy gets to have some of the best days of his life by the sea. No matter where we go, we are as prepared as we can be, which is all you can do when caring for a child with hydrocephalus. As the saying goes, “prepare for the worst and hope for the best”.
