Nov 25, 2021, BBC (NI): Mum’s quest to find disabled son a care facility in NI https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-59405946
A County Tyrone mother has said she fears her severely disabled son will be moved "too far away" due to a lack of care facilities for him.
Ciara Gilliland's son, Ben, has a rare condition called Kabuki syndrome.
It means Ben has a number of physical and mental disabilities which require him to have round-the-clock care.
The 13-year-old has spent months in a short-stay respite facility in Omagh, but it is now recommended that Ben is moved to a more permanent facility.
However, with no long-term facilities currently available in Northern Ireland to meet his needs, it has now been advised that Ben goes to a facility in either Dublin or Scotland.nnn
She has appealed to both the Department of Health and the Western Trust to help find Ben his "forever home" somewhere in Northern Ireland.
'Nowhere in Northern Ireland for Ben'
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, Ms Gilliland said her son, who is non-verbal, "needs professional help, but he also needs to be somewhere where his family can visit regularly".
"The centre [in Omagh] is only short-stay, so it is obviously only meant for children to stay there for a short-term," she said.
"Ben has been there now since June, so they are under immense pressure to get Ben out, but the problem is that there is nowhere in Northern Ireland for Ben to be put," Ms Gilliland said….
The mother-of-five said she was unable to provide the round-the-clock care that her son requires while caring for her other children in their small bungalow.
Ms Gilliland believes any dramatic change to Ben's surroundings now would be very detrimental to his wellbeing….
"There has to be somewhere in Northern Ireland for Ben and other children like him.
"I am still waiting on the Western Trust to get back to me... because as of yet, I don't know where my son is going to be after Christmas."…
