Hilary Mills, 50, Cowplain
Coming in from the garden, my eldest, Ben, was cradling a little bird.
‘It’s hurt, Mum,’ he said sadly.
‘Let’s see what we can do,’ I said, taking the poor creature and putting it safely in a cardboard box.
We fed the bird, waiting until it was strong enough to fly off.
It was typical of Ben, then 10. He loved animals, such a caring lad.
Plus he doted on his younger siblings, Becky, then 8, Billy, 3, and newborn Bradley.
Only, he also suffered ADHD and dyslexia.
It meant he struggled at school, was disruptive and was excluded at 12.
His dad Andy and I sent him to a special school for kids with emotional and behavioural disorders.
But the older Ben got, the worse…