‘He’s so easy to love’: Aberdeen mum so proud of son who was born with autism and has faced many health battles

Adam Brock has not had an easy life.

Yet he never complains and just deals with everything that comes his way.

His first health battle came when he was born with a hole in his heart and needed surgery to fix it at an early age.

“He recovered fairly quickly and immediately started to do all the normal things he hadn’t before, such as roll over, sit up and crawl,” mum Stephanie said.

“It was obvious that he needed it – he came through it really well.”

Leukaemia diagnosis: ‘He was crying and we needed to take him to the doctor’

Doctors then discovered Adam had Down’s syndrome, a condition caused by an extra chromosome developing in his cells.

Four years later he was diagnosed with autism and then just before his eighth birthday he fell ill with leukaemia.

“He was unwell out of the blue,” Stephanie said. “And then a week later he was howling and crying and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong and took him to the doctor.

“It was only when they did some blood tests that they found out.”

Adam went straight into hospital and started two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Doctors were initially not sure how he would cope.

‘I felt like his world had been so small’

It was a difficult time for Stephanie spending long periods of time in hospital with her eldest son while also caring for a baby girl and a six-year-old boy.

Fortunately, a social worker at the hospital could see she was struggling and put her in touch with Archway, a charity that soon became a lifeline for the family.

Adam was offered overnight trips at a respite centre in the city specialising in support for children with learning difficulties.

At first, Stephanie felt like she was “putting her son away” and felt guilty because she thought she was responsible for his care.

“You’re supposed to do it all as a parent and I found it hard to see his door open at night and know that he wasn’t with us and I would worry about him,” she says.

“But I gradually grew to trust that he was in really good hands and that I could start to relax. And I was aware that my other two kids needed me as well.

“It felt like his world had been so small, we had been stuck in the hospital so much and he was able to get out and do fun stuff.

“Adam is easy to love but there were so many medications and behaviour issues during those times when he was really unwell and it didn’t phase them at all.”

My son is an inspiration

Adam, now 18, recovered from leukaemia and has spent many fun years at the respite centre where he has made friends with other children and the staff.

He looks forward to going and gets excited when his mum packs up his overnight bag.

“When I pull out the Archway bag he starts signing for friends, it’s really sweet,” Stephanie says. “He never wants to leave now when we go and get him.”

The mum-of-three, who works as a police custody nurse, describes Adam as an inspiration.

“You put so much effort into trying to make sure everyone is OK but there’s so much that’s not up to me to make happen,” she says. “I’m so proud of all of the kids for pulling together and being patient and supporting each other.

“And I’m proud of Adam. He never complains he just carries on with everything – with whatever he’s given.

“I’ve always thought if he can do it I can do it.”

‘We’ve had the space to be a normal family’

Stephanie walked 26 miles with her colleagues at the Aberdeen Kiltwalk event on May 29.

They raised money for the Archway charity which supports around 200 families.

Without the right help in place, many parents can find raising children with learning difficulties a confusing and stressful journey.

“Archway is a lifeline. It’s such a gift to have a safe place where Adam can be while I get what I need to continue on with the challenges of daily life.” Stephanie says.

“We coped well but Archway certainly gave us that space to be a normal family.”

You can visit Stephanie’s fundraising page here https://bit.ly/3NpM9Pw

We’d like to share your story

Every Friday lunchtime we highlight an incredible story about recovery, overcoming illness and bravery.

Have you overcome a health challenge, lost weight or got fit and are now in a position to help others by talking about your journey?

We’d love to hear from you as we look to offer information, insight and inspiration through our content.

You can get in touch by emailing me at charlotte.thomson@ajl.co.uk