Time together: Cal’s family break at Center Parcs
Cal’s mum, Gemma, describes him as “a funny, smart teenager with a mischievous sense of humour.” But when Cal was first diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged three, a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness, she acknowledges it was a lot to process:
“All of a sudden you’ve got this child whose future looks incredibly different to what you imagined it would be. But eventually you say, right, this is the hand we’ve been dealt. And since then, we’ve dedicated our lives to always including Cal and giving him the absolute best that we can,” recalls Gemma.
It can feel overwhelming at times
With Cal now aged 13 and permanently in a wheelchair, life rarely slows down for Gemma and her husband, Leigh, who also have Cal’s 10-year-old brother, Taylor. It can easily become a treadmill of medical appointments, logistics and life critical responsibilities that never ends.
“We’re running our own business, we’re juggling appointments. I’ve got two kids in two schools and Cal is cared for across two different hospitals. It can feel so overwhelming at times. For us, we almost need to be forced to stop,” Gemma admits.
That’s why their recent short break to Center Parcs Woburn Forest, gifted through Together for Short Lives’ longstanding partnership with Center Parcs, meant so much more than just a holiday.
It gave the family something they rarely get – time to slow down and simply be together, making memories and sharing the kinds of precious moments that every family deserves.
Moments we’ll never forget
The break brought the whole family together. Staying in a spacious lodge meant cousins could join for the weekend, while Cal’s grandmother visited for the day to Celebrate a special birthday. “We had a lovely big lodge. It was my husband’s birthday on the Saturday and the boy’s aunty came and stayed with her daughter, so they could all have some cousin time. We went bowling, got takeaway, blew out the candles and it was all really perfect. One of those special times you’ll always remember for years to come.”
For Cal though, the highlight was undoubtedly swimming in the Sub Tropical Swimming Paradise.
“Cal has always been a water baby. But we’re quite restricted because standard swimming pool temperatures are just too cold – his lips go blue because he’s not moving around. But at Center Parcs the water is subtropical. In fact, it’s the closest we can get to holidays abroad because flying’s just not an option for us! On top of that you get a pool wheelchair, and they’ve got the changing places facilities, so it just makes it so easy to include Cal.”
Accessible spaces made for family life
Back at the lodge, thoughtful design provided even more opportunities for Cal to get involved in everyday family moments too.
“The room Cal was in had a special motorised profiling bed to help with getting him in and out, which is always big tick. We were also given a mobile hoist to use in the lovely open plan bathroom. And the kitchen’s got a lowered work top, so Cal was able to pull his wheelchair right up and was buttering bread for his sandwiches and really getting involved.”
Gemma explains how Cal attends a mainstream school with his friends and has always been both academically strong and fiercely independent:
“He thinks of himself as a normal boy who has a wheelchair and he’s never wanted to be defined by his diagnosis or thought of as different from anyone else. I think that’s a great attitude.”
The family also enjoy spending time at East Anglia Children’s Hospice (EACH), giving them the chance to meet other families and for Cal’s younger brother, Taylor, the opportunity to socialise with other young carers who understand his experiences. Like many siblings though, their relationship is full of playful ups and downs:
“One minute they’re thick as thieves and the next, they’re annoying each other.” But for Gemma, those ordinary moments are what make family life.
The room Cal was in had a special motorised profiling bed to help with getting him in and out, which is always big tick. We were also given a mobile hoist to use in the lovely open plan bathroom. And the kitchen's got a lowered work top, so Cal was able to pull his wheelchair right up and was buttering bread for his sandwiches and really getting involved.
Gemma, Cal's mum
Helping families make the most of every moment
Reflecting on the trip, Gemma says quality time together is “the most important thing in the world.”
“It was lovely to see our boys enjoying their environment and spending time off screens and with family. They loved going off and having some independence. Cal was even inspired to do some drawing and was in fits of giggles explaining to me that in one picture of me he’d ‘thoughtfully’ included all my wrinkles!
“Time like that is priceless and to be gifted a break like this is amazing.”
And thanks to the ongoing partnership between Together for Short Lives and Center Parcs, more families like Cal’s will have the chance to spend precious quality time together.
Our partnership with Center Parcs
Through our partnership with Together for Short Lives, families caring for a seriously ill child can focus on what matters most, time together, joy, and making lasting memories. Whether it’s through a gifted break, or funding children’s hospice care.
Our partnership has enabled hundreds of short breaks to be gifted to families like Cal’s, supporting them to spend quality time together as a family.
By providing opportunities to do the things that other families do – recharging batteries, creating precious memories and spending quality time with their siblings – children’s hospices play a vital role in supporting the whole family.
But right now, many are facing the harsh reality that they simply don’t have the funds to provide care and vital respite to all the families that need it.