Caitlin's Wish

by Victoria Taylor

  Caitlin’s

  Wish

  Second Edition

  VICTORIA TAYLOR

  ILLUSTRATED BY CLAIRE WILES

  Copyright © 2012 Victoria Taylor

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

  Matador

  9 Priory Business Park

  Kibworth Beauchamp

  Leicester LE8 0RX, UK

  Tel: (+44) 116 279 2299

  Fax: (+44) 116 279 2277

  Email: books@troubador.co.uk

  Web: www.troubador.co.uk/matador

  ISBN 978 1780881 010

  British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Typeset by Troubador Publishing Ltd, Leicester, UK

  Matador is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  So what is a Young Carer?

  So what is IH?

  Acknowledgements

  For

  Adele and Chris

  With Love

  INTRODUCTION

  Caitlin’s Wish is based on a true story.

  Victoria had been happily married for 7 years when her husband was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called I.H.* (or Pseudotumour Cerebri.)

  He had to retire from his teaching career as a result of ill health. Their children were very young when he was diagnosed; just 6 years old and 2 years old.

  Initially the children coped well with all the changes in their lives. Their eldest child could remember his father before IH and so he had more patience and sympathy for him. He describes it as having had two Dads – the one before IH, and the one with IH.

  Photograph by www.phrphotography.com

  Their youngest child was so young that she just accepted the situation. It was only when she started school that she realised her life was different. She felt confused, sad, angry and isolated. Her friends were too young to understand what her life as a young carer was like, let alone how she felt. Just like Caitlin in the story, she felt as if no-one understood.

  At the age of 6 years old, she was too young to access any of the local support networks for young carers. Victoria searched for books to help her daughter feel more positive about her situation, but couldn’t find anything suitable at the time. In desperation she decided to write something and the idea behind Caitlin’s Wish was born! The book helped her daughter so much that Victoria decided to publish it.

  Victoria hopes that by reading ‘Caitlin’s Wish’ children will learn to draw strength from the positive elements in their lives instead of dwelling on the negative; seeing what the sick/disabled person CAN do, instead of only seeing what they can’t do any more. The book is also designed to help those who are not personally affected by illness or disability to gain an insight into how a young carer feels.

  Victoria adds “It is hard to learn to live with a chronic illness or disability. You don’t want your life to change, but you have no choice in the matter. You feel angry that it’s happened to you. It’s extremely difficult to let go of the life you had before. It seems so unfair! Why me? Why my family? It took us a long time to accept that we couldn’t change anything, so we had to make the best of the situation. Through learning more about my husband’s condition and how best to manage it, we slowly rebuilt our lives. We realised that we had to be open and honest with each other, always discussing things as a family. By focusing on the positive aspects in our lives it enabled us to cope with the negative more easily.

  The First Edition was published in 2010 and it soon became apparent that the book was being read by all ages, not just by younger children as it had been originally intended. Whole families were using the book to open the discussions into their own personal situations.

  This Second Edition has been rewritten, taking into consideration all the book reviews and readers comments from the past 18 months.

  This book is for all ages and it’s envisaged that younger children will have it read to them.

  Thank you for reading Caitlin’s Wish. I hope it helps!”

  Victoria Taylor

  ** For more information on IH please go to the IH Research Foundation’s website – www.ihrfoundation.org **

  CHAPTER ONE

  Home Sweet Home

  Our story begins in a beautiful little village, set deep in the heart of the Welsh countryside. It was a friendly place where everyone knew each other. It was a very old village made up of narrow winding lanes filled with quaint stone cottages, a village store and a church that was over two hundred years old. Most of the cottages still had thatched roofs, thick stone walls and roaring log fires that kept you snug and warm on a cold winter’s night.

  Down the lane behind the cottages was a large meadow which led onto the mountainside. It was covered with beautiful wild flowers, which were all the colours of the rainbow. This was where the village children would spend their days, running through the long grass and playing games together.

  Alongside the meadow there was a shallow stream, with crystal clear water that ran down from the mountain. If you looked closely you could see different kinds of wildlife living in the stream, from fish darting in and out under the pebbles to frogs sitting on the rocks. Sometimes you could even catch a glimpse of kingfishers flying upstream, with their vivid electric blue colours flashing past. During the summer the children would sit by the stream, dipping their toes into the cool, clear water as they enjoyed the warm sunshine.

  One such child was a little girl called Caitlin. She was small for her age, with pretty hazel green eyes and beautiful brown hair which fell across her face, so she could hide behind it if she wanted to. She was known for her radiant smile and wicked sense of humour. She was always cheery and could make even the grumpiest person smile.

  Caitlin’s big brother was called Chris. He had bright blue eyes and short blond hair which spiked up on top of his head. Caitlin used to tease him, saying his hair was as spiky as a hedgehog.

  They were the best of friends, as well as being brother and sister.

  Caitlin had a special little friend called Rufus, but he wasn’t a boy. Oh no, Rufus was actually a cheeky little robin. Caitlin had fed him every single day since he was very small and over time he had learned to trust her.

  Everyday he would sit on her windowsill and listen carefully while she told him all about her day. He never answered back though, after all robins can’t talk, can they?

  Caitlin and Chris’s Mother worked as a childminder during the week, so the house was always filled with fun and laughter. It was a great place to be! They had lots of fun playing games with the other children and they absolutely loved it.

  Their Father worked away from home during the week, but once the weekend arrived he spent all his time with the family.

  If the weather was nice, they would go on camping trips in the mountains. They’d spend their days lazing by the river catching fish, or cycling through the countryside. Sometimes they’d even go on boating trips acro
ss the mountain lakes or canoeing down the fast flowing rivers, it was so much fun.

  In the evenings they’d sit around the campfire, toasting marshmallows and telling stories as the sun set in the distance. Chris excelled at storytelling. His stories were so funny; he had everyone hanging on his every word, waiting to hear what happened next.

  Caitlin would make up songs and put on a show for everyone, she was such a talented entertainer. Mum and Dad would watch their children with beaming smiles on their faces; they were so proud of them.

  If the family didn’t go away for the weekend then their Father would take them on adventures closer to home, exploring the woodlands and forests that surrounded their village. He loved teaching the children all about the wildlife that lived nearby. One such time springs to mind.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Dad’s Adventure

  It was a beautiful day.

  The April sunshine streamed through the kitchen window, shining across the table where Chris and Caitlin sat doing their homework. Their Father sat next to them, ready and willing to help whenever they needed him. Finally as they finished their homework Chris sat back in his chair and sighed “Thank goodness that’s over and done with.” He enjoyed studying, but not when the sun was shining.

  Dad looked at him and smiled. “OK then, who wants to go on an adventure,”

  “Ooh me, me, me” replied the children excitedly.

  Mum was baking cakes in the kitchen, she turned and smiled, “Go on then, off you go. It’ll be a while before I’m finished here.”

  The children ran over to their Mother and flung their arms around her, “Thanks Mum” they said.

  Mum bent down and hugged them both tightly.

  “Go on, have a good time, and be good!” she said.

  “Right then, go and put your boots on” said Dad.

  “Where are we going?” they asked.

  “You’ll find out in a minute” replied Dad.

  They put their boots on quickly and were out of the door in a flash. Each linked arms with their father and chattered merrily as they walked along the old cart road into the forest.

  “I know, let’s play a game” said Dad.

  “Let’s see who can find clues to guess which animals live in the forest.”

  “Oh yes!” said Caitlin. “I can see a clue” she shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. “Look over there! I can see rabbit holes; that means that rabbits live here.”

  “Well aren’t you clever?” said Dad, “You’re right! Look over there Chris, can you see them?”

  “Oh yes! Well done Caitlin.”

  As they walked further into the forest Chris suddenly covered his nose, pulling a face he asked “Urghh! What’s that smell? It stinks!”

  Dad burst out laughing. “That’s a fox smell. They mark their territory with their scent.”

  “Urghh that’s revolting!” said Chris.

  “That’s nature” said Dad, still laughing. “I know, why don’t we go and have a look in the pond?”

  They turned off the old cart road and started to walk across the meadow.

  “Ah, I never get tired of this view” said Dad as he looked across at the mountains in the distance. “We’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful area.”

  “Yes we are, it’s lovely isn’t it?” said Chris.

  The April sunshine felt warm as they walked along, the only sounds they could hear were the birds singing sweetly in the trees. Nature was finally waking up again after the long winter. The meadow was covered with beautiful spring flowers, gently swaying in the breeze. As they reached the edge of the meadow they climbed over the wooden gate, jumped down onto the path and started walking across the mountain towards the pond.

  “How far is it Daddy?” asked Caitlin.

  “Oh not far” replied Dad.

  As they walked along they could hear an unusual birdsong.

  “What’s that?” asked Caitlin.

  “That’s the first cuckoo of the spring!” said Dad excitedly. “Did you know that they fly all the way to Africa during the winter, because it’s too cold for them here and in the spring they fly back again?”

  “Wow! They’re so clever!” said Caitlin.

  Dad smiled at Caitlin, he loved sharing his knowledge of wildlife with his children.

  As they got closer to the pond they could see dragonflies skating across the top of the water.

  “Look!” said Dad “they look like fairies dancing.”

  “Don’t be so silly Daddy, they are dragon flies” stated Caitlin with her hands on her hips. “Anyway fairies don’t exist!”

  “Shh!” said Dad quickly “fairies are real, and they can hear you! You’ll upset them if you’re not careful.”

  Caitlin looked down at the floor, she didn’t want to argue with her father, but she didn’t believe him.

  “Come on, we’ll sit over there” said Dad pointing to a grassy bank. Caitlin went and sat under a nearby tree sulking. She hated it when her father corrected her, but she still didn’t believe in fairies no matter what he said.

  “Oh come on Caitlin, stop sulking” said Dad. He went over to her and gave her a hug. “One day you’ll understand all about fairies, but in the meantime if you don’t believe in them then that’s alright, just don’t say it out loud, OK?”

  “OK Daddy” said Caitlin hugging her father. She didn’t want to spoil the outing, but she felt that she had to get her point across; after all she wasn’t a baby anymore.

  “Now we have to sit still and be very quiet” explained Dad.

  They didn’t have to wait long before they saw brown speckled fish swimming in the water.

  “Wow!” whispered Caitlin. Just then she heard a popping sound coming from the water. She looked around to see what it was. It looked like a baby lizard. “What’s that?” she asked.

  “That’s a newt” said Dad. “The popping sound you heard was it coming up out of the water to breathe.”

  “I didn’t know that there were funny looking lizards living so close to my house!” said Caitlin. She felt very uncomfortable with this thought. “What if they decide to go for a walk to our house and they climb in through my bedroom window?” She shivered at the thought.

  “Oh don’t be silly Caitlin” said Dad giving her a cuddle to reassure her.

  “They need to stay near the water. They’re not going to venture as far as our house.” Dad smiled “You silly Billy Tillie!”

  He knew that this always made her smile, and it worked again this time. She looked up at her father with a half smile “Are you absolutely sure they won’t walk to my house?”

  “I’m sure sweetheart. Don’t worry.”

  Just then Chris pointed across the pond “Look!” he said “there’s a frog sitting over there on the rocks.”

  Suddenly the frog jumped into the water and disappeared from view, at the same time the fish and the newt swam under the rocks out of sight. “Where did they go, Dad?” asked Chris.

  “I don’t know” replied Dad. Just then they all saw a large bird swooping towards them. Caitlin ducked, putting her hands across her head in fear.

  “Don’t worry Caitlin, that’s a heron. He won’t hurt you, but now we know why they all disappeared so quickly. Herons like to eat frogs, and fish, and ….”

  “Newts” said Chris smiling “Thank goodness they managed to hide in time.”

  “Exactly” replied Dad “they must have seen him. Now that they’re all hiding from the heron we might as well head back home. They won’t come out again for ages.”

  “OK Dad”

  When they reached the meadow Dad suggested that they walk alongside the stream. “Who knows, we might see some more wildlife” he said.

  Caitlin saw little holes in the bank which she hadn’t noticed before. “What are those?” she asked, pointing towards them.

  “They’re birds’ nests Caitlin, probably robins’ nests.”

  Caitlin gazed in wonder. “Maybe Rufus lives there” she thought to
herself.

  As they walked along Dad suddenly had an idea. “I know, let’s pick some flowers for Mum, shall we?”

  “Oh yes!” said the children. They loved surprising their Mother with flowers. Each darted off in different directions to search for Mum’s favourite flowers. Mum was thrilled when they gave them to her.

  “They’re so beautiful, and look; you found my favourite flowers as well. Thank you so much.” They took pride of place on the kitchen windowsill.

  So as you can see, life was sweet for Caitlin and Chris.

  Little did they know, all that was about to change.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Caitlin’s Lost Smile.

  It started slowly, with Dad being ill when he came home at the weekends. Everyone just thought that he’d been working too hard. Dad didn’t have the energy to do anything anymore. He spent most of his time in bed. Eventually he became so poorly that he was rushed into hospital.

  Chris and Caitlin were frightened. They’d never seen him like this before. They felt completely helpless. Mum tried to be strong; protecting them from what was happening, but it was no use. They knew that whatever was wrong with Daddy, it was serious. It was impossible to hide that from them.

  A million questions raced through their young minds. “What if the Doctors couldn’t find out what was wrong with him? Was Daddy going to die? What would happen if he did?”

  Even the thought of losing him was too much to bear. They both adored him.

  The Doctor asked Mum to go into his office.

  “Wait here while I go and talk to the Doctor” she said to the children, pointing to two chairs in the hospital corridor. “I won’t be long.”

  She must have only been gone for about 20 minutes, but it felt like an eternity to the children. As she came out of the room she beckoned to them “Come over here and sit down. I want to talk to you.”