Ruben feels comfortable in the CloudCuddle; he can relax in it.
A Safe Sleeping Place for Easily Overstimulated Ruben, Covered by the WMO
Tim and Lisanne Gaasbeek are the proud (foster) parents of Diano (13), Elise (8), Ruben (4), and Naomi (2). Ruben always needs a secure sleeping place. For this reason, the purchase of the CloudCuddle was reimbursed through the WMO. A blessing for Ruben and the family. Now he has his own safe, portable sleeping space that can go with him to grandma’s, friends’ houses, on vacation, and even to a wedding.Through Ergo Actief, a pediatric occupational therapy practice in Heerenveen, they were made aware of the existence of CloudCuddle. After a trial weekend with the bed tent, Ruben’s parents were convinced.
Tim Gaasbeek: “Ruben developed ‘normally’ for the first year and a half after his birth. After that, it seemed as if he became deaf; he even stopped communicating altogether and would, for example, look right through you. Only in the past few months, now that he is four, has he started making eye contact again. Ruben is motorically well-developed: he can run, trot, and jump.” The general practitioner was alarmed when hearing the symptoms and referred Ruben to a neurologist. “All those tests: it was an intense process,” says the father of four. A diagnosis was never made, but Ruben has a severe developmental delay. Ruben now attends a medical daycare center.
Not in a Regular Bed
Ruben has high muscle tone and is easily overstimulated. “Then Ruben starts screaming, shouting, and hitting his own head,” says Tim. Sleeping in a regular bed is not an option for him. “You can’t explain to Ruben with words that he has to stay in bed. Lisanne and I have spent three-quarters of a year lying next to him every night until he fell asleep,” Tim explains.
Through the Health Insurance Act, a bed box has now been purchased for him at home. “A real solution. The bed box gives Ruben a safe place to ‘de-stimulate.’”
Looking for a Mobile Solution
Family life was quite limited at that time due to the situation: “We couldn’t go on vacation, and Ruben couldn’t, for example, stay overnight at grandma’s.” Lisanne and Tim thought: how wonderful would it be if we could find something that would give Ruben his own portable, safe place to retreat and sleep, similar to the bed box at home. At Ergo Actief in Heerenveen, Ruben’s occupational therapist pointed them to the existence of the CloudCuddle. The practice rents out this aid, along with various other care tools. Pediatric occupational therapist Karin Murk talks more about this during the interview with Tim.
Trying Out the Bed Tent for a Weekend
He continues: “We read more about the CloudCuddle online. If this would work, that would be great, Lisanne and I told each other.” The parents went with some nervousness for a trial weekend to Ameland—with the whole family. Would this aid really bring the calm the family so desperately needed? “We set up the bed tent over a mattress we brought ourselves. We placed Ruben’s favorite stuffed animal inside, and he immediately crawled in. Very special.”
Calm and Stability
“The weekend on Ameland was a success. Ruben feels comfortable in the CloudCuddle; he can relax in it. The bed tent brings calm and stability, also for us as parents. On the way back, we returned the CloudCuddle. But it was clear that we wanted to purchase one ourselves,” says Tim. They decided to apply for reimbursement of the bed tent through the municipality under the WMO. The parents carefully explained the added value for them—that the CloudCuddle helps relieve the home situation. The application was approved, and the CloudCuddle was delivered. The family has now been using it for about nine months.
CloudCuddle at Grandma’s
“During the renovation of our own home this year, our family stayed at grandma’s place. We were able to use the CloudCuddle there for four weeks as well.” They have also taken the bed tent to friends’ weddings. “Ruben can retreat to his own safe space at any moment. That way, he can still be with us. He gets overstimulated less quickly, although we still have to stay vigilant,” says Tim.
Exactly What They Hoped For
Tim can well imagine that other parents of children with autism, epilepsy, or children who are easily overstimulated and cannot sleep in a regular bed could also benefit from the bed tent. Does he find the aid easy to use? “The first time I set up the CloudCuddle, it took me ten minutes; nowadays, I can do it in just one minute.” For the Gaasbeek family, the aid has proven to be exactly what they hoped for.
Trying Out the Bed Tent via Ergo Actief Rental
Karin Murk is one of six (pediatric) occupational therapists at Ergo Actief, a primary care practice in the province of Friesland with no fewer than seven locations. Besides providing treatment, the organization also offers parents of children with disabilities the opportunity to try out aids by renting them for a short period. These include seating aids, special bicycles, speech aids, beach wheelchairs, and sleep aids—among them, the CloudCuddle. Tim Gaasbeek also rented the bed tent for Ruben here. How did the idea for renting come about?
“As an occupational therapist specializing in care for children with disabilities, I always focus on the latest developments. Because we have many different aids in the practice and I think it’s a shame they sometimes sit idle waiting for demonstrations, my colleagues and I came up with the idea to rent them out for a small fee,” Karin explains. Smart, because this way parents can try something out without having to make a big purchase right away, especially when they’re not yet sure if the particular aid is suitable for their child.
Aid Needed Temporarily
“Some aids are only needed temporarily, like a first bike, for example. Children with disabilities often take longer to learn how to ride a bike,” Karin explains. “There are special bikes developed with spring-loaded training wheels that allow you to gradually reduce support. It would be a shame to purchase an expensive bike for that short period.”
Renting the Bed Tent for Vacation
“The CloudCuddle is an item that some families only need a few times a year. There are parents who come back to us every year to rent the bed tent for their vacation. As an organization, we don’t need to make a profit from this, so the costs remain low. After each rental period, we thoroughly inspect, maintain, and clean the aids,” the occupational therapist continues.
“This way, you can first try out whether the CloudCuddle is suitable for your child.” Nice, isn’t it?