In spring 2010 Dominic was invited to take part in “The Big Plan”, an exciting initiative involving six young people in their last years at school. The Big Plan brought them together, along with family members, friends and supporters to look to the future and consider their options when they left school. To begin with Dominic found things to be quite overwhelming but I think we were all amazed at how well he settled down and then joined in. We think he quickly realised that he was part of the group at the centre of activities and not merely a bystander. In the second session we were encouraged to think about hopes and dreams for the future. A family holiday abroad was high on that list but had always seemed too challenging to undertake. However, when we ‘unpicked’ this dream we realised that Dominic could move towards that goal in small steps. The first step was actually a HUGE step – on September 4th, Dominic took his first flight, in a light aircraft at Caernarfon Airport! This was made possible by the Douglas Bader Foundation a wonderful charity which organises taster flights for youngsters with disabilities. A marvellous day was had by all who attended and Dominic was able to fulfil an ambition with no fear at all. Dominic has gone on to visit Manchester airport and that family holiday is now two steps closer!

Written by Dominic’s mum.