Bear with me, I’m knackered as I’ve just got in from A&E

So meant to be going with my family to Chamonix next Friday. Been really looking forward to it.

As a bit of back ground I’m a father of 3, our oldest son (9) is severely disabled and We have another son (8) and a daughter (5).

We really like to try and get holidays that suit them all, but as you can imagine its hard work with my big lad, but have been fortunate enough in that my parents tend to come away with us, enabling us to do one day as a whole family with stuff he can do and the next we do all that active stuff with the other 2 while he has a chill out day with my folks.

The younger 2 love bikes, walking swimming etc usual stuff and my 8 year old has really come on this year on his bike and we were planning the odd up lift on the easier stuff.,I have been really (really) looking forward to this, I’ve been fortunate to ride in the Alps a good few times, but I love riding with my lad more than anything (you know what I mean).

Any way he has gone a broke his ankle tonight, not his fault, he’s 8 after all (well it is as I’d told him not to climb were he did it last night, but its no more than I’ve had done at his age).

Im just not sure if its now worth the hassle and expense, and I don’t mean for me. It’s 2 days each way, which is lot for everyone and I’m not even sure what hell we’ll now do for 2 weeks. His little sister won’t be keen on doing anything without him and he’s going to feel shit seeing everything he should have been doing. Pushing his brother round in a chair is my job, I’m his dad and as long as I can I will do everything humanly possible to include him, but I can only push one wheelchair at a time (on the plus side at least I have a spare wheelchair). I must admit I was going to have a couple of mornings out on my own but I don’t even think I’d both taking a bike now. We’d lose are accommodation costs about €3400, which would obviously hurt, but save I recon about £4k.

I’m not really thinking clearly about it as I’m so tired, but my mind won’t switched off.

I am obviously happy he only broke his ankle…… I’m not a bad dad.

Don’t go and spend the 4k on activities at home and new bike parts for next year’s trip.

Is there any holiday insurance that would recoup any more costs? Might make staying home easier?
Glad he isn’t in too bad a way and I like your attitude, if not your predicament.

Tough choice, what I would be careful of is ending up with no holiday, that might now go down well with the others or indeed with your 8yr old. Is he going to be totally incapacitated , does he still want to go ? (side note: sharing fun stuff with your kids is wonderful!)

As discussed I’d look at insurance options ( did you pay by credit card ?) and / or see if the accommodation provider could give you some kind of refund.

Don’t forget – you still need a break too. If you’re not going to get that in Cham then you should probably reconsider.

A million miles away of course but my mate broke his hand the week before a bike trip, he still came and even though he spent the time visiting the village and lounging round the balcony it’s still a lovely place to be.

Ankle though, it’s a toughie.. Insurance not an option?

Go. It’s a holiday, it won’t be what you planned, and cycling will be a luxury. But 8yo’s are resilient so see what you can do together off the bike. In a week’s time he may be getting around a lot better, anyway.

Two week staying at home won’t be the same as two weeks away on holiday. You’ll find other stuff to do at home, maybe not too much, but you still won’t spend the same time with your family. Adjust your expectations, there’s loads of stuff to do and look at in alps, even for the non sporty.
Nothing wrong with sitting round chilling for a couple of weeks as well.
Worst case, your lad could just ride the luge all day.

I wouldn’t go. Would you go if it were your ankle? Poor kid.

Two weeks relaxing in France will be ace.

You won’t be tearing round on bikes or climbing mountains quite as much, but you can spend time sitting in a bar in a French town, drinking a cold beer and watching the world go by, or just sat back reading books.

Deffo go. Ride early morning – ‘balcon’ trails etc, then spend time with kids. He won’t have any more fun at home and the other two will have a similar hol to what was planned.
Edit – trips up montenver railway and midi ‘phrique’ still possible?

Edit – trips up montenver railway and midi ‘phrique’ still possible?

I imagine that’s the “save £4000” if they don’t go. We did those a few weeks back, family of 4. Could have bought a small terraced house in the north for the same money.

Just got up and off back to the fracture clinic this morning for his real plaster.

Thanks for the advise folks, its was pretty well what was going through my head last night. He seems pretty up beat this morning and says he is up for going, so he’ll have to get good on the crunches pretty quick, I’ll have to figue out how to get a second wheelchair in for him.

Tbh I seem more disappointed for him than he does, I hated missing out on stuff when I was little (now) and we put a lot of time in making sure that all of them don’t miss out give the circumstance now. But I think having a big brother like his has given him pretty grown up attitude to how bad things can really be, so is just getting on with it.

My back is going to be in a really bad place when we get back mind….

Cheers

I’d say go.

When I was a kid I sprained my ankle really badly the day before we went to France for a couple of weeks – must have been about ten or twelve. Was playing tennis and somehow stepped on the ball as it bounced, went arse over tit and popped my ankle. Swole up to the size of football.

Still had a good time. If its an ankle he will still fit in the car fine and should manage a bit of hobbling around at first and by rhe end will not be held back much at all.

Plus being injured on holiday beats being injured at home.

It sounds like you and your son who has just broken his ankle all have a fantastic attitude – and probably the rest of your family as well.

I have grown up with a disabled brother, combined with being a kid who had a fair few broken bones (horse riding is not the safest of activities!). But I can’t remember anything being cancelled. No matter what happened we all just stuck in and carried on anyway. Most of all we had FUN doing it – bizarely sometimes the harder the ‘challenge’ the greater the laughs – wheelchair races are quite memorable 🙂

As an adult it has given me a strong sense that anyone can do anything – you might do it in a different way, you might need help, but there’s a hell of a lot of laughs to be had in trying. We still have this attitude as a family (and have been known to do things like carry my brother between us so he can get to the top with us!).

Sounds as though you are doing a great job as a dad, and your kids have a superb attitude. Having a handicapped sibling can be a real challenge, but also teaches us so many great things about attitude and being positive.

I’d suggest that you go to Chamonix and see it as a fun challenge to do things differently. Have a great time and enjoy your holiday 🙂

Cheers Sue_W

Back from fracture clinic, they spent ages deciding if it was broke last night and said it was, same again today and they say it probably isn’t. But unfortunatly for him it’s still 4 weeks in plaster.

His comments

1. Using the crutches will make his shoulders bigger for rugby next season.
2. It’s a load bearing plaster so he reckons he’ll be riding with it in a week (I think not, but I’ll let him keep the dream)…..

“That’s my boy”, great attitude. Based on the update i’d say go, there will be lots to do even if he’s not fully mobile. Let’s face it an 8yr old on crutches is probably more nimble than some of us “fully fit”

Sounds like a great kid. Wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he’s on the bike in a week!

Let’s face it an 8yr old on crutches is probably more nimble than some of us “fully fit”

So true.

i’d still go. It may be quite rough for the lad to mess up an ankle and then not go on the big summer holiday. Hope his recovery goes well.

Definitely go. You all need the holiday and if you don’t go he may be racked with guilt. Kids are more flexible and adaptable than you think and the French will make a big fuss of him as they love kids.

Allez!

we are just back from 2 weeks in Dolomites. met up with a Finland father and son both with broken arms. I have a fractured skull, so we all treated it as a chilling out break. The ski lifts took us up to the best views.
well worth it. wife has booked us xmas and new year there this morning.
i am so glad i went, it made me stop feeling sorry for myself,take stock, and take my recovery more seriously.

I hope you have a really good holiday, sounds like you deserve it 🙂

Given the choice whether to recover from injury at home or recover in the Alps…I’d go to the alps!

There will be plenty alternative stuff to do. Zip lines, touristy caves, Cable cars etc.

“Remember that holiday when you were 8?…legendary!”

johnikgriff, did you go in the end and if so did you all have a great time? I hope your boy’s ankle is feeling better.

Hi,

Yes we went and as predicted we had a great time,TBH The only problem with his ankle was he just wouldn’t slow down and ended up breaking the cast (no harm done). We even got some good rides in, he was riding hs bike within a couple of day of breaking it. His plaster came off last Monday and other than he can’t play rugby for another couple of weeks.

Thanks for the advise folks 🙂