The mother of a boy with complex needs is campaigning for a safety bed in her local children’s ward. Alice Locke’s four-year-old son Hendrix is autistic, non-verbal, profoundly deaf and has heart problems. On September 28, he was admitted to the Bluefin children’s ward at Worthing Hospital with a high fever.
The ward’s previous safety bed had been vandalised and was therefore removed so Hendrix had to sleep in bed with Alice. She said: “I couldn’t get a wink of sleep due to the constant worry of him not being safe. As he is autistic, he is not aware of danger and he can be mischievous so will get up and wander off in the night.
Since he had a fever, I couldn’t even lie next to him or I would have risked raising his temperature, so I just had to sit on the end of the bed watching him. “As a parent of a child with complex needs or disability, you need sleep so you can be that pillar of strength. Luckily, we were only there for a short time, but I can’t imagine how other parents would cope with the sleep deprivation during longer stays.
” Alice says the safety bed has been life changing (Image: Alice Locke) At home, Alice has an inflatable safety bed with a mesh covering which keeps Hendrix safe, as well as allowing her to monitor him. Unlike the ward’s previous safety bed, which was wooden, the Cloud Cuddle can be easily deflated and packed away when not in use. Alice is raising funds on GoFundMe for the bed which retails at £1,895.
Alice said: “The bed .