“The lanyard lets me just be me”

Posted 3hrs ago
by Rebecca Taylor

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How Tourettes Action helped my son

My son has Tourette syndrome. As his mum, one of the hardest things has been watching how other people can react to something he simply cannot control.

On a previous family holiday in the UK, I remember feeling incredibly sad. People were moving their children away from my son and asking my daughter what was wrong with him. As a parent, you want your child to be accepted for exactly who they are, and seeing people react to him in that way was heartbreaking.

I contacted Tourettes Action through Instagram at the time, and afterwards we ordered some of their lanyards. They might seem like such a small thing, but for our family they have made an enormous difference. Recently, we went on holiday to Devon. My son wore his lanyard, as did his stepdad and I. We also added the “We support someone with a hidden disability” attachment to ours.

The difference between this holiday and our previous one was incredible. For once, he didn't feel that he needed to hide his Tourette's or worry so much about how other people might react. We explained to him that he never needs to hide his Tourette's or be ashamed of his tics. Then he said something that has really stayed with me: “The lanyard lets me just be me.” 

As his mum, those words meant everything.

My hope is that one day he won't feel that he needs to wear a lanyard at all. I want him to grow up feeling completely comfortable being himself and knowing that Tourette's is simply one part of who he is. But right now, having that little bit of extra understanding from the people around him has given him confidence. This holiday, he was able to leave the cottage, go out, do things and enjoy himself in ways that he might previously have avoided. Instead of worrying about whether somebody was staring or wondering what people were thinking, he could concentrate on being a child and enjoying his holiday.

To somebody else, it might look like it's “just a lanyard”. To us, it isn't. It has helped give my son the confidence to walk into places as himself. It has helped us feel less anxious as a family. Most importantly, it has helped him understand that his Tourette's isn't something he has to hide.

There is still such a need for greater awareness and understanding of Tourette syndrome. A little compassion can make an enormous difference to a child and their family. I am so grateful to Tourettes Action for the work they do and for helping families like ours. Sometimes something seemingly very small can have a much bigger impact than anyone realises.

For my son, it helped him feel able to just be him.

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