'I knew something wasn't right': Castleford mum urges parents to trust their instincts after son's diagnosis

A Wakefield mum is urging parents to trust their instincts after spending years fighting to have concerns about her young son's development taken seriously.

Hudson, who turns three in August, was born prematurely at 32 weeks.

From an early age, his mum, Shannon Smith, said he experienced difficulties with feeding and choking, resulting in hospital admissions and ongoing challenges with eating.

As he grew older, further concerns emerged. Hudson has severe speech delay, hypertonia in his lower limbs and is currently unable to walk independently.

He also has borderline ARFID, an eating disorder which can affect food intake and nutrition.

Despite repeatedly raising concerns, Shannon said she often felt her worries were dismissed.

"It felt like every step became a battle," she said.

"Far too often, our worries were brushed aside as 'terrible twos' or that he would simply grow out of it. As a mother, that was heartbreaking because deep down I knew there was more going on."

She said one of the most difficult aspects of the journey was feeling that her concerns were not being fully explored despite spending every day caring for her son and witnessing his struggles first-hand.

The experience took an emotional toll. During that time she was pregnant with her daughter, who is now 10 months old, while also caring for her older son and attending appointments for Hudson.

"I would lie in bed crying myself to sleep wondering what would happen next and whether anyone would finally listen to me," she said.

She things began to change after they were referred to a paediatrician who recognised that further investigation was needed.

An MRI scan was arranged under general anaesthetic, which eventually led to Hudson being diagnosed with brain damage, cerebral palsy and autism.

For Shannon, receiving answers brought a mixture of emotions.

"It was news that hit me like a tonne of bricks but thank God I'm not being made to feel insane and think there's something wrong with this child," she said.

"Now we have an amazing team around him."

She said the diagnosis came after years of feeling her concerns were being dismissed and marked a turning point for the family.

Hudson continues to receive support and his mum says having the right professionals around him has made a huge difference.

Now, Shannon hopes sharing the family's experience will encourage other parents to continue seeking support if they have concerns about their child's development.

"Parents know their children better than anyone, and they should not have to fight this hard to access support," she said.

"Too often, genuine concerns are dismissed as children just being late bloomers or going through the terrible twos."

She added: "It's been a full-on nightmare but I hope this might help other people to have a voice and a bit of confidence.

"You see parents of SEND kids not getting the help they need. Why shouldn't they have a normal life?

"I think they should get the support they deserve."

She said that if sharing the family's story helps even one other family get answers sooner, then speaking out will have been worthwhile.