Sometimes you just have to laugh.

I have been waiting and waiting, unfairly waiting in my opinion. Now i am sure most of you will have heard of "The Blue Badge" something old people have right so they can park anywhere? Well yes, this is partly true, but there is more to it than that, these aren't handed out as easily as people would probably think.
From day one we knew Frankie wouldn't walk, given his diagnosis it was obvious. Three years later, Frankie is finally eligible to apply for one, well i am on his behalf. So i set too it, all 16 pages, now i fill out hundreds of forms for Frankie a year, but this one asked me what Frankie COULD do rather than COULDN'T.
Could he walk the length of a football pitch? Can he walk to the end of the road? Can he walk to the end of the drive way? No is the answer, no was the answer to most of the 16 pages, so you would think, how hard can it be, but no isn't a good enough answer. Why is it a no? Can that change? In what time frame will that change? Let us know as soon as it changes, ok ok, slow down, he hasnt even been awarded it yet.
So, i set about writing on every single question, the same thing, why he cant walk, what he requires to get around, who he requires, what he has to take with him, what ever it is from me they need to answer their questions, i give. Thats that done, but because the majority of the form was answered "No" they need proof, proof from professionals, not i know they need to make sure people aren't claiming for these who shouldn't, but they still do.
They obviously don't realise how hard professionals are to get hold of, my Occupational Therapist for example was off they day i phoned, then it would be the weekend and hopefully she would give me a call *sometime Monday* she called me Tuesday and i finally received it via post Friday, great i would be posting this over the weekend. My physio was off on paternity leave. And the one from Frankies consultant i had to send Brady to Peterborough Hospital to fetch. Will things ever go smoothly?
You would have thought that would be all they needed, its only a badge after all, but no, they wanted a copy of Frankies birth certificate and another form of proof of Frankies address, yes, because my son regularly gets post and finally proof he was awarded higher rate of mobility, obviously he had been awarded this, you cant apply for a blue badge if not, how stupid do they think people are, or how stupid are people, thats my question?
So after hopping along to find a photocopier in the little town of Crowland, of which i had no idea how to use, thank you co-op worker for your assistance, i was nearly all set. I just needed a passport style photo of Frankie, with a white background, getting any child to sit still is hard enough but when your child cant sit, nor will their wheelchair fit into a photo booth this became a problem. In the end i just sent an ordinary photo with Frankie sitting held up on the sofa, all this for a photo that sits on the reverse of the blu badge.
Quite pleased with myself for going insane throughout the blue badge form, Lottie and I skipped down to the post office, yes i was that happy it was finally done, we paid the £3 it cost to send of which i dint even batter an eyelid, i just wanted it to arrive with them and be sorted. Finally it was done and we tottered off home.

About a week later i received a letter from them, i thought blimey that was quick, i expected it to take 6/8 weeks, there was a a problem, what more could they bloody want from me, well.....now this is slightly embarrassing but in a way a relief, i had forgot to sign it, sign it!! 5 bloody letters and it would have been done.

Angrily signed at my annoyance i shoved it in a envelope and this time begrudgingly paid for it to be posted once again.

Here it to hoping after all my hard work, along with my stupidity, Frankie will be entitled to his blue badge! I shall let you all know soon :)

Thank you for reading :-)