Dorothy, who lives in Glasgow, has cerebral palsy and lived with her parents until her mother’s death. After several years spent in a succession of care homes, Dorothy came to Lifeways in 1998 and was very positive about the idea of living in the community in her own flat. The move prompted her to look at life quite differently and she has steadily progressed from being someone for whom others made even the simplest choices to an individual who participates fully in every aspect of daily living – especially holiday planning.
Dorothy, it seems, has got the travel bug. She started out by purchasing a small wheelchair-accessible van in May 2001 and, accompanied by two carers, made her first trip abroad to France, visiting Disneyland Paris and staying at a gite.
After this there was no stopping Dorothy and as a dedicated country & western fan, she set her sights on Tennessee for her next holiday destination. Once again, there was much planning and a great deal of excitement and finally, accompanied by two members of the Lifeways team, Dorothy got to celebrate her birthday in style – with an unforgettable trip to the Great Smoky Mountains for a visit to Dollywood, the theme park dedicated to country singer Dolly Parton.

Dorothy (r) with Arlene Galloway, a member of the Lifeways team who went with Dorothy to Dollywood