Thank you to those who put my son first at Musselburgh races - Hayley Matthews

I was all set for Mussleburgh races last weekend with a few passes for the Jubilee celebrations until I came down with a bad kidney infection. My health has been really bad recently with a few hospital visits and a few more to come but this infection really floored me. So the lucky recipient of my VIP ticket came in the form of my eldest son.

I've touched on our struggles with the neurodivergent process at the moment but we're still new to it and are still working out how to support each other as a family during the really tough days. So as I handed over the VIP passes to my partner and son I thought how previously we'd be fine in a situation like a busy racecourse yet how now, I have to really forward plan, making sure my son has what he needs to cope in stressful situations.

So I wanted to say a huge thank you to the team at Four PR for looking after us at Musselburgh races. They are incredibly well versed in ASD and how to help those needing additional support to enjoy big events. I’m still getting used to asking for help so when I messaged Alex at Four PR give him a heads up - I was blown away by the support offered. A quiet space, a sensory bag, ear defenders and some very attentive staff made what could have been a very stressful day for our son an absolute joy! Thank you everyone for a great day and for being so open minded and understanding of those who are struggling a little underneath it all.