A SINGLE dad at breaking point caring for his severely disabled son last night warned he may have to put him into full-time care.

Matias Haywood, six, is fed through a tube, cannot sit up by himself, is incontinent and needs 24-hour care.

But his dad Damian has been offered just six hours of respite a month.

Mr Haywood, 39, from Blackbird Leys, said: “I love my son dearly, and I don’t want to give him up but there will come a time when I won’t be able to carry on.

“Oxfordshire social services have offered funding for just six hours a month, at £10 an hour. We haven’t taken them up, because with the effort of getting Matias ready, it’s just not worth it.”

Matias suffers from a rare genetic disorder called cri-du-chat syndrome. It leaves him with the mental and physical abilities of a six-month-old baby.

Mr Haywood said: “My wife and I separated because of the strains of looking after him. We just couldn’t cope.”

Matias attends Mabel Prichard School in Blackbird Leys, stays with his mother in the evening and with his father overnight.

Mr Haywood said: “He never sleeps. He gets up at between 3am and 5am, so I have to be there with him.”

Despite being seriously debilitating, there is no evidence to suggest Matias’ condition will shorten his life.

Mr Haywood said: “I can only just lift him now, so he’s going to grow into a fully grown man, unable to move.

“Sometimes the thought crosses my mind that the only way is to put him into care. But we don’t want to.

“All I want is some time to myself and some help, so I can stop being a carer and start being a parent.”

Earlier this week, Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron came under fire after a mother he promised to help accused him of failing her.

Riven Williams said she was getting so little help with her six-year-old quadri-plegic daughter Celyn, she had no choice but to put her in full-time care.

Downing Street said it was providing £800m over four years towards respite for carers of disabled children.

But the money is not ring-fenced, so councils are not obliged to spend it on respite care.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Louise Mendonca said: “There are professionals from various agencies involved with assessing the needs of the Haywood family which are currently under review.”

WHO GETS WHAT

Respite needs are calculated by Oxfordshire County Council with a carer’s assessment.

A ‘care plan’ is then drawn up including home support, day care, respite and equipment. Anyone providing “substantial care on a regular basis where caring has a major impact on their life” is eligible.

There are currently 1,250 disabled children receiving ‘short breaks’ in the county, which is how the county council describes the care Matias has been offered.

CRI-DU-CHAT SYNDROME

Cri-du-chat syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects about one in every 35,000 to 50,000 births in the UK.

It is caused by the missing part of a chromosome and gets its name from the characteristic cry of children born with the syndrome, which is similar to a meowing cat.

Symptoms include poor weight growth, feeding difficulties, severe speech problems and behavioural problems.