Tandy

I had to go back to work when Kieron was just 4 months old as financially it would have been impossible to survive on basic maternity pay. I found a childminder who had been recommended to me but after a few weeks she decided to give up childminding and recommended a lady called Tandy.

I went to meet her and was impressed at how she related to Kieron so decided to try her. She lived just round the corner from us and had no problem with Kieron being dropped off at 7.30 most mornings.

Tandy was an absolute star....she happily gave Kieron my expressed breast milk, pureed food for him, giving him the same meals as she gave her own young children. Took him on the same outings, played with him as much as with her own children and treated him as a member of her family. Tandy and I became close friends and socialised together, laughed together and confided in each other.

As Kieron got older, Tandy took Kieron on the school run as her youngest two had started going and introduced Kieron to the school that would eventually become his school.

Kieron loved going to Tandys....he became firm friends with her children and on occasion her daughters would babysit for me too. Tandy had a huge garden with climbing frames and paddling pool and enough room for Kieron to run around and tire himself out.

Tandy eventually moved house and by then, I'd changed jobs and Kieron was going to his after school club, but if I was stuck she was always ready to help out. It was Tandy who looked after Kieron on the day of my dad's funeral and it was Tandy who took Kieron on his first open top bus trip.

Tandy ended up moving to Canada and now lives in America, bu recently her oldest daughter added me on facebook.

Yesterday her daughter posted 3 photos of Kieron that I had not seen before and the huge grin on Kieron's face and the sparkle in his eyes as he's snuggled up on the settee with the other children is a fitting testimony to the love and care he received.

Thank you Tandy xxxxxx