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The Bait Master Is Closing Down Until Further Notice A lot has happened since Christmas and my mind hasn't really been on the job because of my stepdaughter. Let me explain briefly and then you may understand my situation and reason for doing what I have to do... I have a disabled stepdaughter Sophie whom from birth has had eighty epileptic fits a day, which has upsettingly left her with brain damage. From this it was diagnosed that Sophie now has a disability called Sturge Weber Syndrome http://www.sturgeweber.org.uk/ and special needs. When I met my partner Mandy, 4 years ago, who she herself a year previous to my meeting her lost here husband to a heart attack at the age of 42 and was therefore left to cope with Sophie on her own having very few family members who could help her apart from her other then 10 year old daughter Sarah.
During this time Mandy and I were just close friends and prior to Mandy and I becoming partners, it was mutually arranged with Social Services and Mandy that Sophie to go into respite care at Parfields in Yeovil due to Mandy not being able to cope. Sophie was only visiting Mandy for a few hours a week and would then go back to Parfields. Mandy and I eventually ended up together I sold my place and moved in with Mandy, which over a period of time strengthened Mandy, which in turn gave Mandy the strength to have Sophie home once night a week, then two nights a week leading to three nights a week over the last couple of years. Sophie is now 11 years old with the 5-6 year difference due to her brain damage. Sophie has severe learning difficulties but can now count to twenty. She still can’t read, can’t add up unless their small sums like 1 + 5 = 6 etc. She can’t write either unless the words are Mum, Sophie, Sarah, Dad or Daddy, which she wanted to call me plus the other typical three letter words. To cut a very long tear jerking story short – Christmas this year did it for me! We were all in the living room apart from Josh my son who was with his mother this Christmas and I was watching Mandy, Sarah and Sophie discreetly. I could see the happiness in each of their faces and the smiles and stress free look about Sophie. I could see for the first time in ages because I’m always too busy, what a beautiful child she was inside and out hidden away behind the scarring of her partially lasered birthmark, which Sturge Weber created. I saw Mandy for the first time in ages not looking stressed and Sarah was actually playing with Sophie instead of the usual shouting and fighting one another usually more times than not brought on due to Sophie’s behaviour. I saw more to life than working around the clock making bait – I saw an opportunity for me to give Sophie a life, her life back at home where she belongs not living in respite care.
Mandy nor Sarah could believe what they just heard me say and from that moment on they both kept saying to me, “are you sure this is what you want to do, you love being the bait master and doing what you do”. They’re both right I do love doing what I do, but this isn’t about me, I can’t send Sophie back to Parfields, I couldn’t live with that knowing that all I had to do was to give up my time for her so she could be back home with her mum, sister and stepbrother who she loves so much. I’ve done what I wanted to do. I was successful doing the bait master and made some great baits and made some great friends through it. But Sophie comes first and that’s my decision, my final decision. I’ve lived a life that’s been full - it’s Sophie’s turn now! Mandy works full time with a good job so it’s easier for me to give up my full time self employment to take care of Sophie, so with immediate effect I will no longer be running the bait master until further notice when I know in my heart that Sophie is stable and if and only if Mandy can cope on her own without my help. I’m not going to apologise for my decision-making because there’s no reason for apologising for wanting to look after my disabled stepdaughter. But I will apologise for building up hopes of many carp anglers chasing that dream carp with Carple Steamers. I wish you all the very best for the future and with your carp fishing and wish to thank you personally from the bottom of my heart for the sincerity and loyalty you have shown me during years of trading as The Bait Master. Thanks for your much-appreciated understanding. Carl Edwards
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Sophie was at this time a very, very, young 7 year old with a mental age of a 2 year old even less. Sophie was a very demanding child and still is regardless of the anti epileptic medicines she takes on a daily basis because with Sturge Weber also comes behaviour problems. Sophie, although so apologetic in her little way after she’s incurred a violent attack on anyone around her can’t stop herself from lashing out. She’s head butted Mandy several times thrown things and nearly killed me by throwing a garden fork at me when visiting me with Mandy prior to us becoming partners.
Without previously consulting Mandy I called Sophie for her attention and asked Sarah to turn the TV off they all looked at me, Mandy included and wondered what was wrong because my eyes were filling up and my bottom lip was quivering my emotions were getting the better of me they were a mixture of happiness and sorrow to see such a beautiful kid suffering the way she has and to see her looking so happy being with us. I kept myself together and said, “Sophie, you know daddy’s the bait master and he’s always working and hardly ever sees you?” Sophie stuttered, “I know, daddy makes bait, bait, bait I wish you’d baby-sit me instead of making bait daddy”. It was like she knew what I was going to say. I continued and said, “well Sophie Kays, with a smile on my face how would you like it if that’s what I do from now on, how would you like it if I give up being the bait master so you can come home full time and daddy looks after you so you don’t have to go to Parfields anymore?” Sophie’s face was a picture it wobbled, it glowed and she said, “Yes please daddy” and ran over to me and gave me the biggest cuddle you could ever imagine.