CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

I TURNED 18 ON SUNDAY, MARCH 31ST 1985. MRS PALMER WANTED TO GIVE ME A BIRTHDAY PARTY. IT WAS GOING TO BE THE SATURDAY BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY. I HELPED MRS PALMER PLAN IT AND WRITE THE LIST OF PEOPLE TO INVITE – ALL THE PEOPLE I KNEW FROM SWIMMING, MY PHYSIO AND PEOPLE FROM SCHOOL. WE INVITED ALL MY FAMILY – THEY ALL CAME, EXCEPT MY MUM. AT THE PARTY, I WAS GIVEN LOTS OF PRESENTS. THERE WAS A TABLE FULL OF THEM! I DIDN'T OPEN THEM UNTIL SUNDAY.

WHEN SUNDAY ARRIVED, WE WERE GETTING READY TO GO TO CHURCH, WHEN THE PHONE RANG. IT WAS MY MUM. I WAS SURE SHE WAS DRUNK. SHE SAID “YOU'RE 18 AREN'T YOU? I WANT TO COME AND SEE YOU.” I AGREED THAT SHE COULD BUT A LITTLE PART OF ME WORRIED ABOUT HER LETTING ME DOWN.

IN THE AFTERNOON, MY NAN, GRANDAD AND ALL MY SIBLINGS CAME TO MRS PALMER'S TO SEE ME OPEN ALL MY PRESENTS WHILE WE HAD A BIRTHDAY TEA. MUM ARRIVED TOO, DRUNK STILL. SHE TOOK ONE LOOK AT MY PRESENTS AND SAID “THAT'S MINE” … THAT'S MINE … THAT'S MINE” - IT WAS HORRIBLE. SHE DIDN'T STAY FOR LONG. I GOT TWELE PRESENTS FROM MRS PALMER, AND THE BEST ONE WAS THE LAST ONE – A PACKET OF FARLEY'S RUSKS! IT WAS SOMETHING I ALWAYS ASKED FOR, BUT SHE JOKED THAT SHE WOULD GET ME SOME FOR MY 18TH AND SHE DID!

OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS I CONTINUED AT ANTHONY HOUSE, STAYED WITH MRS PALMER DURING ALL THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, AS WELL AS ATTENDING PHAB AND ACTIVENTURE HOLIDAY CAMPS. WHEN I TURNED 21, I WOULD HAVE TO MOVE ON FROM ANTHONY HOUSE. I FELT NERVOUS AND KNEW IT WOULD BE HARD, ESPECIALLY LEAVING MRS PALMER! I HAD HAD A HAPPY TIME AT ANTHONY HOUSE, SO IT WOULD BE LIKE LEAVING HOME! I HAD SAVED MONEY FROM MY MOBILTY ALLOWANCE OVER THE YEARS SINCE I WAS YOUNG. BEING IN SCHOOL MEANT I DIDN'T HAVE NEED FOR IT, MY SOCIAL WORKER SET UP A SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR IT. AS I WAS MOVING ON, INTO A HOSTEL, I HAD TO USE IT OR LOSE IT, SO I SPOKE TO A LADY CALLED ANNE, WHO WORKED AT ANTHONY HOUSE, AND DISCUSSED WITH HER THE POSSIBILITY OF GOING TO AMERICA.

ANOTHER MEMBER OF STAFF, JEAN, SUGGESTED DISNEY WORLD AND WE BOTH THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA. WE LOOKED AT LOTS OF HOLIDAY BROCHURES BEFORE FINALLY BOOKING FOR MARCH 1988 – MY 21ST BIRTHDAY!

MRS PALMER TOOK ME TO THE AIRPORT, WHERE WE MET ANNE. I WAS REALLY EXCITED! GATWICK STAFF WERE REALLY HELPFUL AND MADE SURE WE GOT THROUGH THE AIRPORT AND ONTO THE PLANE SMOOTHLY. I FOUND THE FLIGHT VERY LONG, ESPECIALLY AS WE HAD TO CHANGE PLANES IN MIAMI. STAFF HERE WERE VERY HELPFUL TOO, NOT LIKE THE STAFF AT ORLANDO, OUR FINAL STOP. HERE, ANNE HAD TO MANAGE EVERYTHING HERSELF.

WE REALLY ENJOYED OUR TWO WEEKS AT DISNEY. ANNE HAD COME WITH ME AS A FRIEND, NOT A CARER, AND WE GREW CLOSER DURING THE HOLIDAY. I WAS MAD FOR MICKEY MOUSE AND BOUGHT EVERYTHING WITH HIS FACE ON! WE ATE HOT DOGS EVERY DAY AND SWAM IN THE HOTEL POOL. I EVEN HAD MY 21ST BIRTHDAY THERE WITH FRIENDS WE MADE. IT REALLY WAS A MEMORABLE TIME.