Lyndsey Rogers, the mother of 12-year-old Noah, describes HILA as her son’s second home. Noah is a person with autism and ADHD, who has been using the services offered at Casa Apap Bologna, one of HILA’s homes, since it opened its doors, in 2016.
In an interview with CareNet, Lyndsey speaks about the incredible change that her son went through over the years and how HILA has been part of her support system. “I must say that thanks to HILA my son keeps himself occupied, he releases a lot of energy and is so much calmer”.
Lyndsey, who currently works in the healthcare sector, mentions how a few years back, they spent two years living abroad and recalls how she could not find support for her son which meant she had to take care of him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Unfortunately, this situation took a toll on her physical and mental health and that is why today, she can truly appreciate the services offered through HILA.
“I cannot imagine how our lives would be without HILA. It is our extended family, which happens to be HILA’s motto and I must say that when you use their services, you do feel part of a family”.
Lyndsey admits that when she was introduced to HILA, it was hard for her to let go of her son. She questioned many things for example, if they will be able to understand the way that Noah expresses himself. Then she recalled how she went through the guilt feeling stage. “At first, I felt so guilty that I was not able to take care of my son on my own, but it is a process and I had to understand that I needed support. Whoever is in this kind of reality needs to understand that we need a backup plan to take care of ourselves physically and mentally because otherwise, we would not be able to take care of our children”, and HILA was Lyndsey’s backup plan, where her son Noah, at Casa Apap Bologna, is cared for, he can socialise, integrate with other children and where his dignity, safety, and development are a priority.
