A mum who dedicated 30 years to providing round-the-clock care for her disabled son has gone on her first holiday with her partner in three decades, and says the couple are now “making up for lost time”. Karen Hewitt, 61, spent 30 years being a full-time carer for her son, Jack, 30, who has severe additional needs, and said it was “impossible” to go abroad on family holidays.
Karen said Jack – who has cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy and severe learning difficulties – would struggle to cope on holidays and instead, Karen and her partner, Keith Higgins, 72, a retired builder, would take turns to go away individually over the years. Now, as Jack has settled into his new home in residential care, Karen and Keith have enjoyed their first holiday together in three decades – a trip to the Spanish city of Barcelona in October 2022 which they won in an online raffle.
After enjoying walking tours and rooftop bars in Barcelona, they have since been glamping in Somerset, enjoyed a castle break in Devon, and spent a week in Alderney in the Channel Islands. Karen said: “It was an incredibly difficult decision to move Jack into a residential place, it broke my heart, but I knew it was the right decision for him, as Keith and I are getting older and were worrying about that.”
