Dominic sees the CloudCuddle as a safe haven, just like his bed at home

“We recently attended the Veine days with the three of us: my husband Michael, my son Dominic and me,” Samantha explains, “and it all took too long for Dominic. We were standing by the CloudCuddle stand and my son simply stepped out of his wheelchair and into the CloudCuddle Maxx. Isn’t that the best compliment for this product? He feels comfortable there. He just wanted to sit in it for a while. And the zipper had to be closed too.”

Tears

It is certainly a compliment. Six years ago, the family bought a CloudCuddle for Dominic and they have no regrets. “I can get tears in my eyes when I think about it, I’m so happy with it,” Michael (48) says. “Of course, the bed tent is expensive to purchase. But it has already paid for itself three or four times!” At the time, the family paid for it themselves because the aid was still quite new and largely unknown, and hardly reimbursed anywhere. “Unbelievable that it wasn’t invented or developed earlier,” he adds.

No worries

Overthepastfewyears, Samantha (40) andherhusbandhavetakentheCloudCuddle on holidays, weekendtrips, sleepovers with family, andsometimeseven to thehospitaldue to emergencyadmissions. “Dominicsuffersfromfebrileseizuresthatcanlastfor a longtime. He getsmedicationfor it, but if thingsdon’t go well, he has to go to thehospitalforobservation. A safetybedisn’talwaysarrangedwithin a fewhours in hospitals. So we say: ‘Don’tworry! We’llbringtheCloudCuddle.’ Thenursingstaffareveryhappy with it too.”

Developmental delay

Due to a chromosomeduplication — meaning a specificpart of a chromosome is presenttwiceinstead of theusualonce — Dominic (14) has a developmentaldelay. Thisbecamenoticeablewhen he wasaboutoneand a halfyearsold. “Eventually, a specializedpediatriciandiagnosed it afterexaminations in a universityhospital,” Samanthaexplains. “Dominicdoesnotspeak, he canwalk a little, he is nottoilettrained. Youcancomparehisdevelopment to that of a two-year-old.”

Familiar environment

At home, Dominic sleeps in an adapted bed. “It’s a high model — from Kidtech Zeeland. We also had a roof added, otherwise Dominic throws all his stuffed animals around the room,” his mother says. “Just like his bed at home, the CloudCuddle is ‘very sturdy’. The tent doesn’t break and moves with him. For Dominic, the CloudCuddle is a familiar environment. He doesn’t see going to bed as a punishment, like many children do, but as a place to play and to relax.”b

Solution for holidays

Around 2020, SamanthaandMichaelwerelookingfor a solutionforholidays. “A travelcotdidn’tworkforDominicbecause he couldcrawlout of it. As parents, youlookfor a safeandresponsibleoptionforyourchild. It’snotdoable to sleepnext to Dominic every night on holiday in a regularbed. At night he is oftenrestless. Imaginefallinginto a deepsleep as a parent… It doesn’tbearthinkingabout!”

Taking CloudCuddle along

“On weekdays, Dominic goes to a medical daycare center from Monday to Friday. There is a lot of supervision, one caregiver for three children. In recent years, they organized a summer camp. The CloudCuddle always came along. This year there aren’t enough staff for one-on-one supervision, so the summer activities take place at the daycare center. One day they go to an indoor playground, another day to the zoo. Those caregivers are worth gold!”, Samantha says enthusiastically. The rest of the time, the parents care for Dominic themselves. Samantha: “A respite home is not for us. I find it very difficult to hand over the care for my son.”

Removable base

“Setting up the CloudCuddle is very easy,” Samantha says. “You wrap the bottom around the mattress, tighten the straps, inflate it… a child could do it. In the hospital, the nurse was surprised how quickly it was done.” She adds: “I really like that the base can be zipped out so you can clean it. So practical. We immediately ordered two units so we always have a spare in case of accidents. Ideal, you can wash them easily.”

Safe haven

“We are truly grateful that something like this bed tent has been developed. It reassures us that Dominic can sleep safely almost anywhere. Dominic sees the CloudCuddle as a safe haven, just like his bed at home. He also enjoys retreating into it, playing in it. And it gives us so much freedom. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to go on holiday. Now, when Dominic is in bed, we can still sit outside the cottage for a while.” Michael adds: “If this CloudCuddle ever breaks, we’ll buy a new one immediately!” Hopefully, by then it will be reimbursed.