Liam M's quilt    (Quilt Completed)

Thank you

We got Liam’s quilt this morning and it’s just beautiful! Thank you to each and every one of you who helped make this quilt as special and truly amazing as it is. Liam adores it, he has been carrying it from room to room since he’s had it. I did try and get a picture of him smiling but those types of pictures are very rare and these were the best I could get, so, don’t let his face fool you, he loves it! Once again thank you all so much! We shall treasure this forever

Finished photos

Individual squares

Card

Stitched by: Karen Stephenson

Biography

Liam was born a very healthy 9lb 2oz. He was perfect in every way, my first born baby. I noticed small things very early on for example, not pointing or clapping or smiling back at me when I smiled at him etc. One day when he was 18 months old I read an article in a magazine about a woman and her autistic son and how amazing his special needs school was. I didn’t know anything about autism at the time but everything this lady described in her article about what her son did or didn’t do was like she was describing Liam. I took him to the health visitor and was laughed out the door. In the end, aged about 2 years 3 months, I took Liam to the doctor and said how Liam has not said his first word yet and that’s when our journey began. Lots of tests and appointments. Even though his diagnosis didn’t come for another 18 months I was fully aware of what his diagnosis would be so the day he was officially diagnosed there were no shocks and I already had full support firmly in motion.

Liam’s autism disables him greatly, he is non-verbal, has zero sense of danger and does not understand the world around him. Every day life and simple tasks can be extremely hard for Liam. Awful meltdowns happen on a daily basis where he will self harm. He has a limited diet (although will happily eat wipes straight out of the packet), he sleeps on average 5 hours a night, a simple trip to the park is an almost impossible task, especially if it is busy. I provide all of his self care as he is unable to do this himself. Liam attends a special needs school that caters for severely autistic children. Liam also has a diagnosis of epilepsy but this is not something that affects him and is just monitored every 12 months by a neurologist paediatrician.

Liam is now 12 and, despite how difficult every day life can be, they have been the most amazing 12 years of my life. Liam is the most loving child, he loves nothing more than mummy cuddles and being tickled. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and his bed (despite the fact he doesn’t sleep) and comfort. I always say as long as Liam has a pillow, a blanket, his eddy (his comfort toy he has had since he was a baby) and a bed then he will make himself at home anywhere. He is always laughing, you never know what about but that boy will laugh for hours and it’s so infectious you find yourself laughing with him, everyone’s laughing and no-one knows why. He makes my heart melt and my soul shine. Liam has a little sister, Eloise, and he will always get her to count to him, he loves numbers. Liam loves water of any kind, whether it be to drink, to play in or to look at, he’s a water boy through and through. Every year on his birthday I will take him to the seaside, it’s freezing cold but extremely quiet and that is 100% Liam’s happy place. Oh and one thing I nearly forgot that he loves...a swing! Give Liam a swing and he’s there all day. There may not be many things that Liam likes but the things he does he LOVES.