At the Galactosaemia Support Group conference

Galactosaemia is the metabolic condition that Luca was born with. It's very rare - around 1 in 40,000 children in the UK - and so far he is doing fine. It basically means that he lacks the enzyme for digesting 'galactose' - one of the sugar components in mammalian milk.  So he's on a dairy-free diet.  However, there's a wide spectrum of experiences among galactosaemic children, and the condition can cause minor or non-minor neurological complications at later points in the life course. This is because the body itself produces a certain amount of galactose. So we're watchful, of course.
The small charity that was founded by some parents of galactosaemic children, many years ago, usually has an annual meeting. One year it's a conference, another year it's a sociable 'weekend away' for families to meet up informally. 
This year it's been the conference, with talks and workshops on topics ranging from dietary advice to speech development and to accessing support at school and beyond. I went on my own, as neither Ruth nor Josh has felt ready to delve into this network yet. So I've been the family delegate, gathering information and contacts.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but in fact it's proving to be a lovely experience. The formal inputs have been clear and detailed, and the informal chats have been invaluable.There's a lot of emotion swirling around too: often, an exchange of experiences in the dinner queue or round a table has led to some tearful moments, eg as people exchange memories of the terrifying days with a baby nearing death before diagnosis and treatment (breast-feeding brings on liver failure, as it did with Luca).
So it's been intense. In a good way.
The image involves an array of food because dairy-free treats loom quite large at these events, with much fun to be had during tasting sessions.