Hello everyone, 

Children and young people with disabilities, mental impairment, and health conditions that are at risk of covid19 but don't seem to be thought about much in the guidance and rules and regulations need our help.

LETS SAVE A LITTLE LIFE INSTEAD OF RISKING ONE.

Let's do our up most for these vunerable children and there parents that suffer and struggle battling each day with doctors and schools to be heard and try to change a few key points with the covid rules for schools and vunerable children if you could spare a moment or two for a signature please do. We would be forever grateful. The more signatures we receive the higher chance we have it will go to parliament and we will be heard.

RULES AND GUIDELINES STATE-

Clinically vunerable people (shielding) can complete work from home however it doesn't specify on children, after researching I've found clinically vunerable children can also shield if they fall into that category yet the siblings of these children have to attend school where social distancing isn't possible therefore this puts the vunerable then at risk , this needs to be changed as there is no logic in shielding one child yet sending the other to school to potentially bring it home and risk the shielding child's life either way. As a parent if you pull your typically well child out of school and teach them from home for more than 10 consecutive days you face penalties/fines/court even though to keep your clinically vunerable child as safe a possible logically this would be required, however legally its not allowed. Is that fair? 

Also, someone who is a moderate risk basically has the same rules as shielding don't go out unless you really have to and if you do make sure your following the guidelines at all times (hand washing social distancing masks etc) this is not possible for children with severe mental impairment and some health conditions that would put them In this bracket. I believe if the guidelines are unable to be followed due to mental impairment they should be shielding for safety as a precaution. So let's try and change this for the safety of these vunerable children, they cannot keep themselves safe that's what they rely on us for they cannot speak so we are there voice.

Lets appeal that if you have a child with a severe mental impairment diagnosis that would result in social distancing and safety measures unable to be carried out as the moderate risk category suggests and your child falls into this that they can also be legally aloud to shield as a precaution and that the siblings in that household also can shield (if they also cannot social distance due to age etc) without legal proceedings being started and being harassed by mainstream schools and local authorities? 

All we are trying to do is keep our children the next generation as safe as the adults in this pandemic the adults that can shield or follow guideline because mentally they understand the risks and the steps they need to take to stay safe these children can'tt understand. All the guidelines seem to be aimed at adults, because statistics show most children tend to react very well to covid. However please remember this isn't all children.

I'm aware this is a new disease that no one really knows that much about and the guidance is changing daily. Just last week adults 18+ with down syndrome have been added to the clinically vunerable shielding list but not children, why? After doing research on this I have found There simply isn't enough proof yet to suggest people with down syndrome would be at the same risk of an adult this is because statistics show a large number of adults with down syndrome contracted covid in care homes in the first wave we had and sadly passed away, these homes are for 18+ children with down syndrome tend to be with there parents and due to the health conditions that are so common in down syndrome making it possibly fatal for them, a lot of parents have kept these children shielded as a precaution therefore not many children with downs have caught it.

Here's an example of one special little pickle in particular. 

OUR STORY.

There's a beautiful bubbly fun little girl who has down syndrome and autismn that I have the blessing to call my daughter, she's 7 but mentally 18 months and absolutely loves life. At just 3 months old she had open heart surgery to save her life for her to be here today, her heart is weaker than that of a typical person (yet this doesn't put her at high risk)

She also has asthma, low white blood cells, and lymphocytes (immune system) due to her down syndrome.

Sleep apnea (respiratory struggles) due to her down syndrome.

Referrals have been made to a respiratory specialist to find out why she gets 6-10 chest infections a year. Which almost every time require oxygen machines, asthma pumps full time or medication.

February 2020 she was admitted to hospital for 6 days on oxygen day and night for a minor chest infection and sleep apnea that lowered her oxygen levels from 98 to 64, on 10 pumps every 4 hours with her asthma and on steroids to open her airways all so she could breath a bit better and get enough oxygen to her brain with just a minor chest infection. So imagine if she got covid? 

She falls under the moderate list due to her health conditions. Which means she should be home but if she has to go school social distancing requirements must be followed this isn't possible due to her mental impairment and level of adult care she requires. She has two younger siblings that she shares a room with so cannot be separated, but her sibling is expected to go to school with 30 children no masks or social distancing. This is a school that's had 4 confirmed cases in 1 month. It doesn't seem safe for the vunerable child to send her sibling in and possibly bring it home, right? These kids have been kept home this lockdown for fears of safety.

The school of my moderate risk child is completely understanding with macie not being in and has agreed due to knowing her health conditions not to report her absence and take action against us, and is also working well with me to keep her learning activities going and to help her keep thriving in her sign language.

However the school of the typically well child is now turning up at her home threatening court proceedings, fines, reports to local authority and social services to a mum that has already explained to the school's the situation health conditions on several occasions even before covid as our life has always been a little more complex than normal so they're well aware of the situation, the head teacher agreed to gather medical information from professionals about my daughter's sister and present it to local authority which I'm still waiting to receive and pass on due to NHS back log it's taking longer than I'd hoped but instead of waiting or calling for an update they've continued with the court proceeding anyway? Like many others I'm already under immense stress and with the daily battles of a child with such complex needs a 6 year old and a 2 year old baby girl single handedly since February due to the risk of covid they've barely seen anyone. the only reason the kids are home is that I am simply just trying to protect my beautiful girl like every other parent out there its simply just different circumstances that's all! Trying to protect my child that has no immune system due to her down sydrome and heart condition so her body physically couldn't fight such an angry disease. I lost my job due to covid like many others and I'm struggling with financial strain now too aswell as backlog of hospital and specialist appointments and the challenging behaviours my 7 year old displays every day whilst doing all this and normal every day life of raising 3 girls which I was managing but if that wasn't enough i now have to face the decision to risk the fine and legal actions to be taken against me or send my child back and risk my other daughters life?  

My children are young enough to work from home and catch up in education missed I can't bring a life back once there gone.

For me there is no question. I cannot possibly put my daughter at risk of loosing her life. What about yourself? What would you do?

The issue is as parents of extraordinary children that have siblings facing this dilemma you shouldn't be put in this position and made to choose. I understand and am aware that this is a new illness one that's killed many and many have also recovered well, but I don't feel as a parent of a child who is a moderate risk-clinically vunerable I should be forced to send my other child back to have such a high chance of bringing it.

Thank you for reading my story.

I'm sure there are many other parents out there that are facing the same heartbreaking decisions and stresses as I am so let's change that. Together.

Every signature and share counts and could help improve the chances of our young moderate or high risk generation that deserve the Chance to stay safe the same as the high risk adults.

Thank you so much for your time. Stay safe and god bless.

Yours sincerely 

Just a typical mother