Appeal for support to get a special bed to keep Oisin safe at night

Appeal for support to get a special bed to keep Oisin safe at night

11 January 2017

A DOWNPATRICK couple have spoken of their desperation to keep their five-year-old son safe at night.

Oisin Coyle has Autism, Developmental Delay and Epilepsy and is non-verbal. At night the five year-old wakes frequently and, with no awareness of danger, climbs surfaces and constantly tries to escape the home.

Osh — as he is known to his family — has managed to climb out of two different styles of specialist bed, putting himself in dangerous positions and even breaking his leg by jumping from a work surface.

A specialist safe sleeping environment would keep Osh safe at night, but as this costs £5,740 his parents, Marie and Greg, have applied to Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children for assistance. The charity, in turn, is hoping local people will be able to help.

Newlife is the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness. They have provided Osh with a travel version of the specialist bed on loan. This has already helped significantly, but the family still needs a permanent full-sized version.

Mum Marie said: “We were constantly worried for his safety before we had the loan bed. Osh would only sleep for a few hours at a time and would wake extremely distressed, which would wake the entire house.

“When he discovered he could climb over the safety gates we had placed throughout the house, things went from bad to worse. Either Greg or I needed to be awake and alert at all times.

“Osh’s levels of understanding are limited and because of this and his lack of communication skills, he experiences severe frustration and meltdowns.

“Meltdowns can happen at any time and tend to be quite violent. Things got so bad that he was prescribed medication to sleep at night, which no parent wants to be the case. 

“In the loan bed we know he is safe and he can’t get out by himself. We are all getting more sleep now and it’s making a big difference. We have more energy to cope with the challenges of Osh’s special needs and we are able to give the time needed to his older brothers, something they have missed out on for a long time.

“Lack of sleep was affecting every part of life, for the whole family. Having a child with Osh’s special needs feels like having a new-born in the house, but without the hope of the sleep deprivation ending!” 

The permanent bed the Coyle family need for Osh is sturdier than the travel version and creates a safe, soft, low sensory environment, often described as a room within a room. Having this equipment would give the whole family peace of mind that Osh had a safe place to be through the night long-term as well as providing somewhere he could retreat to in the day if overwhelmed.

Marie added: “Osh seems to like the enclosed space and I think and hope it makes him feel safer too. He is the brightest, most beautiful, loving boy. He would be safe in this bed as he can’t hurt himself off any hard surfaces and I would know where he is. He would also be able to come off the medication too. I think mums everywhere just want their children to be safe and happy.”

To support Osh, go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk/down and click on the donate button next to his story. Alternatively, contact the Newlife County Liaison Team on 01543 431 444 or email local@newlifecharity.co.uk.

Newlife has said that 100% of monies donated or fundraised in County Down will be used to specifically help children with disabilities and terminal illness in the county.

Any money raised above the amount needed for Osh will be used to help other local children as he is just one of 16 in County Down with equipment needs totalling almost £20,000.