TWO centres for disabled young people in the Lothians have celebrated their fifth anniversary with a series of events.
Users of the two resources paid tribute to the respite centres, saying they have made a huge impact on their lives.
The Calareidh service in Bingham, Edinburgh and Sunndach in Livingston have been described as both a "Godsend" and a "lifeline".
The landmark, purpose-built homes are now seen as the way forward for caring for disabled children in the Lothians, and work alongside the city's Sick Kids hospital.
Maureen Theurer, the hospital's nurse in charge of the respite service, said: "It's been a brilliant five years and we look forward to continuing to develop the service in future.
"We all feel privileged that we've been able to build really strong relationships with our children, young people and their families so that families feel they can safely leave their children in our care."
The centres were established to help children with illnesses caused by premature birth or complex disabilities. Because survival rates in babies born prematurely have increased, there was seen to be more of a need for the centre.
They were given Gaelic names to mean "bright, happy, sunny" and "peaceful haven".
Between them the homes help 35 children and their families from across the region. Each home is a nine-bedroom bungalow with specialist equipment and access.
The full article contains 234 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
