Blake Penny’s favourite place to visit is Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice – with his mum saying she never sees him as happy as when he’s there being cared for.
The 10-year-old from Flimby in west Cumbria has been supported by the charity for around seven years and loves his regular visits.
Blake has grade 4 mixed cerebral palsy which affects all four of his limbs, he is unable to walk independently and is non-verbal.
Blake also has profound learning difficulties, microcephaly, a condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than expected because their brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, and gut dysmotility, which can lead to problems with the digestive system.
“His favourite place to visit is Jigsaw,” says Blake’s mum Callie.
“He loves his time there; I’ve never seen him so happy. He loves the staff and how much of a fuss they make over him, he loves interacting with the other children and all the activities they do.
“The best part for us is seeing the enjoyment Blake gets from being at Jigsaw, him getting all the one-to-one and the break he deserves.”
As well as Blake receiving high quality care and being able to enjoy some time with the Jigsaw team, the regular visits also allow Callie and the rest of the family to spend some quality time along with Blake’s younger sister and go to places they ordinarily couldn’t.
“Blake can struggle with certain environments if there are too many people and too much noise,” Callie adds.
“Not to mention it allows us to get a full night’s sleep which is a godsend. We think all the Jigsaw team is amazing.”
