27/01/2025
We have some new followers - I figured you may like to know a little more about us :)
Our story. We have 5 children, with 10 years between our eldest and youngest. A happy, busy, crazy household. We moved to Peterchurch in the Golden Valley in 2002 as its a beautiful place to raise a family, with really great schools. Our youngest, J, was 3 when we moved there, to our 'forever home'. J had a traumatic birth, leading to a paralysed right arm. It meant he never crawled, and he walked late. It affected his balance, he fell more than most children his age. But due to the injury, that was to be expected. We were fortunate that was the only birth injury. He was a regular kid, running around, very happy, very cheeky, and utterly adored little brother to the other 4.
When he was just 5 years old, J had a blood test - our world was shattered by the shocking news. J was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We hadn't heard of it.
We were advised he would lose the ability to run, then be unable to walk, that he would be using a wheelchair within a year or two. He would become too weak to walk at all, then lose the use of his arms, and hands. The condition is relentless, every muscle in his little body was wasting away, including his heart. Life expectancy was teens. Not many live beyond that, it has 100% fatality rate. No treatment. No cure.
A visit from an OT confirmed our lovely forever home would be unsuitable within a year, maybe two.
Our perfect world crumbled.
In the midst of this heartbreak, we found a bungalow- overgrown and neglected- just half a mile away.
It was in a really sorry state - nothing had been done to it since it was built in the 1930s. It looked dire - but it offered us hope.
Rosedale.
It was odd, and utterly heartbreaking to be adapting a property to suit an adult powerchair user when he was still just a small child. Our OT was brilliant, and helped ensure we covered all bases for a future I was terrified to imagine.
It took 12 months of renovation and extending, but finally, in 2006 we moved in.
Rosedale provided a happy home which suited our needs as the children grew up. It worked through every stage of J's condition, proving that even the most devastating conditions do not need to disable you - if the environment is designed around the needs and abilities of all, you can maintain independence, and ensure every family member can access everywhere in the home.
As J lost the ability to walk, and was confined to a powerchair at 14, we added a hot tub with hoist. As the cold affects his muscles, we designed and built a custom made garden room with full length glass bifold doors onto the garden. We added a skylight so he could even see the stars. And of course, the ceiling track hoist. He could use the hot tub whatever the weather.
Defying the odds, J attended a residential college from age 16 - 19, giving him a taste of independence. When he finished at college he was determined to live independently. In 2019 he got the keys to an adapted house on the other side of the city. He employs a team of PAs, he works as a volunteer in a museum, and is living his best life. He's now 25, and continues to defy the odds with a cheeky grin, and a determination that is a force to be reckoned with. He proves again and again that true strength has nothing to do with muscles.
But we know how fast things can change.
In an emergency I need to be there for him, as quickly as possible - Duchenne is such a complex condition, and rare. The journey from Rosedale to his home could take over an hour with traffic. That could be too long.
All our children had grown and flown the nest - we sadly realised it was time to say goodbye to our beloved Rosedale.
In 2023 we moved to a new home, just a few minutes from J's house. It made sense to sell Rosedale to buy the new house. BUT....
We know how hard it was for us to find anywhere to holiday which had all the equipment Rosedale has. Ceiling track hoist. Roll in shower. Closomat toilet (washes and dries the user). Hot tub in a warm room, with a hoist....
So rather than do the sensible thing, we decided to take a risk. I mean, why have one small mortgage, when you can have 2 big ones?!!!
And so we set Rosedale up as a holiday let, our first guests arrived in October 2023.
Bookings have been slower than we had hoped, and that's caused sleepless nights and worries about covering all the bills - but we are giving it our best shot, to ensure families like ours have an option. A home from home to have a well earned break. A place big enough for the family, or to bring carers.
Last weekend we welcomed a family celebrating their son's 30th birthday 🎂 it seems J is not the only one defying the odds - this young man has Duchenne too.
Rosedale has now welcomed families from across the globe, old and young, of all different abilities.
Our aim is to make it an accessible option to as many people as possible.
If you would like further details, or know others who would benefit from a break at Rosedale, please take a look at our website, and share it far and wide.
Thank you ❤️
Pauline, Trevor & family
www.rosedaleholidays.co.uk
Beautiful 5 bedroomed accessible holiday accommodation in the Golden Valley area of Herefordshire. Wheelchair accessible. Hot tub. Ceiling track hoists. Closomat.
