A couple who say they ‘just do what all grandparents do’ have been nominated as Local Heroes by their daughter, who wants to say thank you for the care they give to their grandchildren.
Ken and Gill Anstiss, of Lawn Avenue, West Drayton, have seven grandchildren aged two to 15.
Mr Anstiss has taught each of them to swim, but it is for the care given to two in particular that daughter Hayley Wood nominated them in the Gazette’s Local Heroes awards.
Mrs Wood, who lives in Ferrers Avenue, West Drayton, said: “My daughter Lily has a rare genetic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) and my nephew Jude has autism and they have both helped to care for them in so many ways.”
Lily’s PKU means she can’t eat the same food as the rest of her family, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy and pasta, because it would leave her brain-damaged.
She has to eat food on prescription, but it is Mrs Anstiss’s culinary creations that mean Lily’s diet is always interesting, with specially made crumpets, Danish pastries, pies, and eggless cakes.
“She is a genius for making Lily’s dull and boring diet less difficult for her,” Mrs Wood added.
“My dad is also a constant source of encouragement for Lily, and all his grandchildren, but he is Jude’s hero.”
Jude, son of Mrs Wood’s sister Katie, was diagnosed with autism at an early age, and many of the every day tasks that we take for granted can be very difficult for him.
Mr Anstiss said: “Jude just likes the open air and doing things outside. I have found that he is less distraught when he is with his grandad doing stuff in the garden.
“He was getting very upset at school because he couldn’t write as quickly as the others but he said ‘I can write my name’ so I said ‘go on then let’s see how good you are’.
“I looked at what he had written and it was not real letters but I recognised it somehow, I held it up to a mirror and you could see quite clearly he had written Jude.
“When he sees writing he sees it back to front. That is when we first said we should take him to a doctor.”
Mrs Wood said: “Jude is my dad’s shadow, and dad teaches him so many things in a way that Jude can understand, and is always calm and patient with him.
“Both my mum and dad are brilliant grandparents to all their seven grandchildren and have all the time in the world for them, I really don't know how we could have coped with Jude and Lily's conditions without them.”
When Mr Anstiss learned of his and his wife’s nominations, it was a complete shock. “We have always supported our children and grandchildren,” he said.
“I don’t think it is anything that special really. I don’t feel worthy of an award, we are just helping out as all grandparents do.”
Local Heroes nominations close on Thursday next week and the awards ceremony is on Thursday, June 5.
Our Heroes will get a £50 prize and Superheroes a £200 prize, plus the chance for a further £500 for being the overall Superhero Of Hillingdon.
Nominate your Local Hero here!
