‘A lifeline for our family’: parents credit Break with transforming lives
2 Jun 2026
A local family has shared how our short breaks service helped them care for their son with complex needs.
Annalisa and her husband Robin say Nelson Lodge, Break’s residential short breaks home for children with complex disabilities, provided ‘an absolute lifeline’ as they raised their son Giacomo, known as Giac.
Giac, now 19, has severe learning disabilities, autism and is non-verbal. He needs constant supervision to keep him safe and has often struggled with sleep, making family life particularly challenging.
Annalisa said: “Nelson Lodge was an absolute lifeline for us while Giac was growing up. He first went when he was six and continued going for regular short breaks until he turned 18. The breaks meant that we were able to keep him with us as he was growing up, as they gave us a chance to recharge.
"We both work, doing shifts and weekends, and we have two other children too. The breaks stopped us from burning out and gave us the chance to spend quality time with our other children. It also meant that we could go out with family and friends, maintaining important friendships and relationships.”
Nelson Lodge supports children and young people aged five to 18 with complex needs, offering specialist care, tailored activities and a safe environment while giving families essential respite. In addition, the team at the lodge played a key role in Giac’s development and wellbeing.
Annalisa said: “Giac had fun while he was there. Staff were able to do activities and trips with him that we couldn’t. They created targets in line with what we and his school were working on and prioritised his development, which was great.”
“Communication from staff was brilliant and they attended every meeting about him, advocating for him and us. We felt that he was totally safe at the lodge, we weren’t worried about him there, so it really felt like a break.”
As Giac approached his 18th birthday and prepared to leave Nelson Lodge for the final time, the family decided to give something back.
Annalisa said: “We created a fundraising page, made the first donation and shared it with friends, colleagues and family. We were blown away by the response – we raised £1,000 in total! People just wanted to help because it meant so much to us.”
The team at Nelson Lodge used the money raised to build a gazebo in the garden, naming it ‘Giac’s Shack’ in his honour. Giac has since moved into residential accommodation and returns home once a week.
Reflecting on their experience, Annalisa added: “We are just so grateful to Nelson Lodge for helping us to raise our little boy.”