Another month goes by but this one was especially important to my family. Those of us who know our family might think it is an important month because my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. Families who have a child with autism have been shown to have an 80% divorce rate. We are very proud of our nine years together and work very hard not to be part of that 80 percentile. But April will always be very important and very special to us...its Autism Awareness Month.
In years past, I have found the media coverage of Autism Awareness Month to be very minimal. Of the news stories in the past, I thought it stayed focused on the vaccine debate and showed very little about what autism is. I thought to myself, "There has to be someone out there that will show to the general public what autism involves." I wanted so badly for the media to show the faces of autism. Show the toddlers who lose speech and begin succumbing to their own little worlds. Show the parents who grieve for the child and their dreams for that child. Show all the therapies and the therapists who work so hard for very small gains. Show special ed classrooms full of autistic children and their very brave and dedicated teachers. Show the school systems who have all these children but no funds to have equipment to better serve them. Show adults with autism and what life is like for these individuals. I wanted so badly for everyone to have a better understanding of what those of us with someone with autism in our lives sees on a daily basis.
On April 1st, 2011, I hoped that this month would be different than the Aprils in the past. It is now the end of the month and I am so pleased that a cause so close to my heart has been made so public this month. Almost every single day this month, there has been a piece on autism on television and radio. These have not been fluff pieces. They have shown life with autism from diagnosis to adulthood. They have shown the enormous financial need of those with autism. They have shown therapies and theories as to why autism is so prevalent. They have shown the emotional struggles of parents trying to make their child's life great. They have shown the symptoms not only in words but in pictures. They have shown school settings and the great needs our kids have for getting appropriate education. They have shown adults with autism and the struggles they have in a world that they do not understand. They have shown how autism affects the family, not only the parents but also the siblings. They have shown the cases of severe autism. They show what happens when your child does not get words, EVER. They have shown methods of communication that these individuals must use in order to let others know what they need, want, and feel.
I must say thank you. Thank you for educating those who do not know about autism. Thank you for providing a preview to my own future. Thank you for making me feel like I am not alone.
My hope is that with all the information out there this month, that someone somewhere has a bit more understanding of these kids and adults with autism. That I can take my little girl into a store without the stares and rude comments. That I do not get the looks from strangers like my child is a brat and I am a bad parent. My hope is that not only my child but all children and adults with autism will one day be welcomed in our community completely.
This month has given me hope, strength, and a lot of tears. Autism is not an easy thing to see. I wish I didn't have to see it too. Even though some of the things I saw on TV, did make me cry, I am so grateful for the education that this month has provided for me. I hope others learned one detail about autism that they did not know before. If you did, you have made this month worthwhile.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Q&A with Curly's Mommy
People who know I have an autistic child often ask me questions about autism and about parenting a child with autism. I also get ALOT of questions while out in public with my daughter. I thought I would share my most asked questions and their answers with you all today.
1. When did I notice that Abigail had autism?
Abigail was born with delays, I believe. She never met any developmental milestone on time. As a newborn, she rarely looked at us, would roll her eyes to avoid looking in our direction, and would scream if she was made to touch things that were upsetting to her. When she was around 9 months old, she did not look me in the eye, she would choke on pureed foods, she did not attempt to hold a cup or bottle, she did not play with toys, she would line up items in "her" order on the floor and would get very upset if they were moved, and she did not respond to her name. At fifteen months old, she went silent. She only had one or two words up to that point and then one day they were gone. The only noise that came from her mouth were cries. I can now look back at pictures and see her autism as early as 8 or 9 months old. It became very evident after her first birthday. Because of her very evident delays, she was diagnosed with autism at 20 months old.
2. Do I believe vaccines cause autism?
No! Like I said earlier, I believe Abigail was born with autism. She showed slow development before she ever had a vaccine. I do believe that our vaccines should be greener and there should be a slower schedule for these vaccines. I believe there is no need for any child, any age to have four different vaccines in one day. I believe your pediatricians should offer you a delayed vaccination schedule where your child only gets one to two vaccines at a time. If your physician refuses this, get a pediatrician who will go along with this request.
3. Does Early Intervention Work?
YES! Abigail started receiving therapy 5 days a week at age 18 months. She received this therapy until she reached age 3. Her developmental therapist got her to respond to her name, play with toys appropriately, and sit and listen to a complete book. Thank you, Zulmie. Her occupational therapist got her to pick up a spoon and put it in her mouth...Thank you, Mary! Her speech therapists got her to sit at a table and look through a book and to make choices...Thank you, LaNae. At age three, she went to a pre-k classroom for autistic children. They got her to feed herself, to sit for a group circle activity, to sit on the potty, and to learn how to swing on the swing set. Early intervention does work. You can see a difference between the kids that had it and the kids that didn't.
4. Will Abigail ever talk?
I don't know. I hope everyday that she will. The statistics show that most kids who will talk have at least one word by age 5. Kids who will get a good vocabulary of words tend to have multiple words by age 8. It is rare for a child over 8 to become verbal. It breaks my heart to think that Abigail may not get words. But she does communicate. She uses gestures and pictures to express what she needs or wants. And I know that even if she never calls out for me, that she loves me. She tells me this everyday.
5. Why is Abigail still wearing diapers?
Abigail will be 5 this November. She has severe autism. Most kids with autism do not become potty-trained until they are 6 or 7. She will sit on a potty and occasionally go to the bathroom but that is as far as we are with potty training. Kids with autism have a very difficult time with activities of daily living. Potty training is a hard concept for these kids. She will get there and we have time.
6. Why does Abigail eat pureed foods?
She has sensory integration disorder. She does not like the feel of chunky foods, table foods, or cut up soft foods in her mouth. She started gagging on her foods at 6 months old. At a year, she was just progressing to stage 3 baby food. She has been there ever since. She will not eat finger foods or any table foods. Over the last six months, she has accepted some soft pastas, cheerios, and pieces of cookies in her mouth. She does not pick up a food and feed it to herself. Everything she eats has to come off of a spoon. She only drinks out of a sippy cup. She can not suck a straw. She can drink from an open cup but can be very messy doing so. Sensory integration disorder also makes her sensitive to smells (like strong perfumes or cigarette smoking smells), windy days, snow, rain, and bright sunlight. She also does not like to put her hands in play dough or any sticky substance. When given chunky foods, she will throw up. When it is too windy out, she will have a meltdown and scream and cry. We are working on increasing her foods but it is a long journey and we are no where near the end.
7. How do you deal with raising a child with autism?
I have to get up and do my job. My job is to be the best mommy I can be to three amazing little girls. I fail miserably on most days. But I keep trying. There are days that I want to lay in bed and not have to deal with the sensory meltdowns or the sleepless nights or seeing the distance in my child's eyes. There are days that Abigail is so into her autism that no one can get to her. There are days that I listen to my child scream all day and all night. These are the days that I cringe at my life. These are the days I want to have a little pity party for myself. These are the days that I wish those who think we have it easy could come in and see just how "easy" this really is.
But there are great days too. The days where Abigail smiles and laughs and melts my heart. The days when she had a great day at school. The days when she plays along with her sisters. The days when I can take her out in public and not get the stares and the condescending remarks. The days when autism is not our focus. The days when we are just a family of five raising our girls and trying to provide a good life for them. The days when I don't worry about her future. The days when I live day to day, moment to moment. Over Abigail's life, there have been a lot of really great moments and this is what keeps me going. Raising a special needs child is hard. There is a lot of stress involved. Your household has a lot of chaos. But in the end, you remember the good memories, the days that your face hurt from smiling, the days when you got good eye contact and a hug. The days when you know the autism did not take away the love between a child and a parent.
1. When did I notice that Abigail had autism?
Abigail was born with delays, I believe. She never met any developmental milestone on time. As a newborn, she rarely looked at us, would roll her eyes to avoid looking in our direction, and would scream if she was made to touch things that were upsetting to her. When she was around 9 months old, she did not look me in the eye, she would choke on pureed foods, she did not attempt to hold a cup or bottle, she did not play with toys, she would line up items in "her" order on the floor and would get very upset if they were moved, and she did not respond to her name. At fifteen months old, she went silent. She only had one or two words up to that point and then one day they were gone. The only noise that came from her mouth were cries. I can now look back at pictures and see her autism as early as 8 or 9 months old. It became very evident after her first birthday. Because of her very evident delays, she was diagnosed with autism at 20 months old.
2. Do I believe vaccines cause autism?
No! Like I said earlier, I believe Abigail was born with autism. She showed slow development before she ever had a vaccine. I do believe that our vaccines should be greener and there should be a slower schedule for these vaccines. I believe there is no need for any child, any age to have four different vaccines in one day. I believe your pediatricians should offer you a delayed vaccination schedule where your child only gets one to two vaccines at a time. If your physician refuses this, get a pediatrician who will go along with this request.
3. Does Early Intervention Work?
YES! Abigail started receiving therapy 5 days a week at age 18 months. She received this therapy until she reached age 3. Her developmental therapist got her to respond to her name, play with toys appropriately, and sit and listen to a complete book. Thank you, Zulmie. Her occupational therapist got her to pick up a spoon and put it in her mouth...Thank you, Mary! Her speech therapists got her to sit at a table and look through a book and to make choices...Thank you, LaNae. At age three, she went to a pre-k classroom for autistic children. They got her to feed herself, to sit for a group circle activity, to sit on the potty, and to learn how to swing on the swing set. Early intervention does work. You can see a difference between the kids that had it and the kids that didn't.
4. Will Abigail ever talk?
I don't know. I hope everyday that she will. The statistics show that most kids who will talk have at least one word by age 5. Kids who will get a good vocabulary of words tend to have multiple words by age 8. It is rare for a child over 8 to become verbal. It breaks my heart to think that Abigail may not get words. But she does communicate. She uses gestures and pictures to express what she needs or wants. And I know that even if she never calls out for me, that she loves me. She tells me this everyday.
5. Why is Abigail still wearing diapers?
Abigail will be 5 this November. She has severe autism. Most kids with autism do not become potty-trained until they are 6 or 7. She will sit on a potty and occasionally go to the bathroom but that is as far as we are with potty training. Kids with autism have a very difficult time with activities of daily living. Potty training is a hard concept for these kids. She will get there and we have time.
6. Why does Abigail eat pureed foods?
She has sensory integration disorder. She does not like the feel of chunky foods, table foods, or cut up soft foods in her mouth. She started gagging on her foods at 6 months old. At a year, she was just progressing to stage 3 baby food. She has been there ever since. She will not eat finger foods or any table foods. Over the last six months, she has accepted some soft pastas, cheerios, and pieces of cookies in her mouth. She does not pick up a food and feed it to herself. Everything she eats has to come off of a spoon. She only drinks out of a sippy cup. She can not suck a straw. She can drink from an open cup but can be very messy doing so. Sensory integration disorder also makes her sensitive to smells (like strong perfumes or cigarette smoking smells), windy days, snow, rain, and bright sunlight. She also does not like to put her hands in play dough or any sticky substance. When given chunky foods, she will throw up. When it is too windy out, she will have a meltdown and scream and cry. We are working on increasing her foods but it is a long journey and we are no where near the end.
7. How do you deal with raising a child with autism?
I have to get up and do my job. My job is to be the best mommy I can be to three amazing little girls. I fail miserably on most days. But I keep trying. There are days that I want to lay in bed and not have to deal with the sensory meltdowns or the sleepless nights or seeing the distance in my child's eyes. There are days that Abigail is so into her autism that no one can get to her. There are days that I listen to my child scream all day and all night. These are the days that I cringe at my life. These are the days I want to have a little pity party for myself. These are the days that I wish those who think we have it easy could come in and see just how "easy" this really is.
But there are great days too. The days where Abigail smiles and laughs and melts my heart. The days when she had a great day at school. The days when she plays along with her sisters. The days when I can take her out in public and not get the stares and the condescending remarks. The days when autism is not our focus. The days when we are just a family of five raising our girls and trying to provide a good life for them. The days when I don't worry about her future. The days when I live day to day, moment to moment. Over Abigail's life, there have been a lot of really great moments and this is what keeps me going. Raising a special needs child is hard. There is a lot of stress involved. Your household has a lot of chaos. But in the end, you remember the good memories, the days that your face hurt from smiling, the days when you got good eye contact and a hug. The days when you know the autism did not take away the love between a child and a parent.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Extracurricular Activities and Autism
We are very blessed indeed to have Abigail in our lives but also very blessed for the people that provide some "normalcy" to our daughter. When Abigail was first diagnosed, I wondered if her childhood could possibly be "normal". I wanted so desperately for her to have some typical childhood experiences. I have been so lucky to have met some wonderful professionals who have given her these wonderful activities and given us a chance to see our daughter have some "normal" childhood experiences.
Abigail has some wonderful teachers. They are more than willing to take her to school functions, like a band performance or assembly and the twice a year field trips. The gym teacher at her school has let her class join the kindergarten class for some P.E. time. I would not be able to thank them enough for allowing this inclusion for Curly. They have gone above and beyond what is required for them and we are so grateful. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Miss Susan, Miss Amanda, and Miss Byerly. You all deserve so much more praise than what you all receive.
About a year ago, we received an email about a gymnastics class for kids with special needs and autism. We thought this would be such a great extracurricular activity for Abigail. From the first class, Abigail has been in love. Teacher Brooke and Teacher Monica have been so great with not only Abigail but all the other kids who have been in this class. I appreciate their patience and their guidance during these classes. It has meant so much to me that there is a place that Abigail can go and experience what other "typical" kids can experience. There are very few places that accept a child with very low functioning autism. I am so grateful that her teachers at gymnastics were so welcoming to us and so understanding.
We have just started TopSoccer. It is a class run by our local parks and recreation that is meant for special needs kids. Abigail is the youngest and probably one of the most severe in the class. It takes her much longer to learn a skill or to focus on a skill. I am very grateful for the opportunity for Abigail to join in on this group. The high school "buddies" that the program uses have been wonderful with Abigail and very patient. It makes me so happy to see that a child with a lot of special needs can be included in a sport and learn new skills if given the time and the right guidance.
When Abigail was diagnosed, I didn't know what her childhood would look like. I didn't know if she would be included in activities that all children do. It makes me so happy to know that Abigail has seen some inclusion in her activities and has enjoyed those experiences. No one will ever really know how much this means to me as her mother. I will always be grateful to these people who went above and beyond the norm to help not only our family but all the other families of a special need child.
Abigail has some wonderful teachers. They are more than willing to take her to school functions, like a band performance or assembly and the twice a year field trips. The gym teacher at her school has let her class join the kindergarten class for some P.E. time. I would not be able to thank them enough for allowing this inclusion for Curly. They have gone above and beyond what is required for them and we are so grateful. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Miss Susan, Miss Amanda, and Miss Byerly. You all deserve so much more praise than what you all receive.
About a year ago, we received an email about a gymnastics class for kids with special needs and autism. We thought this would be such a great extracurricular activity for Abigail. From the first class, Abigail has been in love. Teacher Brooke and Teacher Monica have been so great with not only Abigail but all the other kids who have been in this class. I appreciate their patience and their guidance during these classes. It has meant so much to me that there is a place that Abigail can go and experience what other "typical" kids can experience. There are very few places that accept a child with very low functioning autism. I am so grateful that her teachers at gymnastics were so welcoming to us and so understanding.
We have just started TopSoccer. It is a class run by our local parks and recreation that is meant for special needs kids. Abigail is the youngest and probably one of the most severe in the class. It takes her much longer to learn a skill or to focus on a skill. I am very grateful for the opportunity for Abigail to join in on this group. The high school "buddies" that the program uses have been wonderful with Abigail and very patient. It makes me so happy to see that a child with a lot of special needs can be included in a sport and learn new skills if given the time and the right guidance.
When Abigail was diagnosed, I didn't know what her childhood would look like. I didn't know if she would be included in activities that all children do. It makes me so happy to know that Abigail has seen some inclusion in her activities and has enjoyed those experiences. No one will ever really know how much this means to me as her mother. I will always be grateful to these people who went above and beyond the norm to help not only our family but all the other families of a special need child.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Autism Awareness Month
April is Autism Awareness Month. We are in day 8 of the month and I have received autism related materials in the mail everyday. I am lucky to receive anything about autism once a month normally. My email has been bombarded by invites to events in our area about autism, clips people have found on TV about autism, and emails pleading with me to give to autism related charities.
The television stations seem to think that we only need to be educated about autism one month a year. The occasional segment on daytime TV or the nightly news is enough for the stations to produce.
There are campaigns to raise awareness like lighting our buildings blue, dressing in blue, or letter writing to our politicians. Of course, I choose to participate in these campaigns. But in the back of my mind, I wonder, "Is this doing anything?" "Will this make any difference at all?"
I tend to think that any awareness is good awareness. I feel the more people know about this devastating, horrible condition the better. But I have to admit, the stories on TV, the emails, and the mailed materials can be so depressing when you have a child with autism.
The general public sees these stories or reads up on autism and they maybe think how lucky they are. How lucky to have "normal" children. How lucky that they do not have to live everyday with someone with autism. They hug their children a little tighter or maybe feel a little more compassion for those of us with autistic children.
We parents, the ones who haven't forgotten about autism since the day our children were diagnosed, are happy to have a month devoted to autism but this month does bring up alot of our bad memories of the past and our fears for our futures.
Our past memories are full of the pain from seeing our children lose skills while their peers thrive. Our memories are full of the sadness and despair that we felt at diagnosis. These memories include the anger at the autism and the hatred towards those who choose not to take the time to understand the condition. We remember how deeply devastated we were during this time and wonder how we made it through this period of our life.
Autism awareness reminds us of our fears. When we see a video clip on autism, we relate to the parents, we see our child with autism in the children in the videos. It shows us how severe autism can be. The statistics about autism scare us. The unknowns about autism scare us even more. It reminds us that when we look at our child with autism, we don't see the child we thought we would see. We see our fears for that child. We see a human being that will always need substantial support from us for the rest of our lives. Then what? We wonder what will happen to this child when we are no longer around. We wonder what her life is going to be like as a child, as a teenager, as an adult?
I am very proud that there is attention being drawn to my daughter's disability. I hope the attention leads to progress in the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Whether I am heartbroken over her diagnosis or content with the knowledge that this is what we are facing (I go back and forth on this many times throughout each day), I will always be an advocate for her and the millions of other children and adults who do not have a voice to be heard.
For the past two years, I have fought for your health, your therapies, your education. For the past two years, I have tried to learn as much as I possibly could about your condition. For the past two years, I have not had one day where I did not think and worry about your condition. For the past two years, I have been your mommy, your caretaker, your advocate. For the past two years, you have been my daughter. We have been through a lot in these two years since diagnosis. We have both grown so much. Autism will not take our relationship from us. Abigail, you are my daughter. I am your mother...forever.
The television stations seem to think that we only need to be educated about autism one month a year. The occasional segment on daytime TV or the nightly news is enough for the stations to produce.
There are campaigns to raise awareness like lighting our buildings blue, dressing in blue, or letter writing to our politicians. Of course, I choose to participate in these campaigns. But in the back of my mind, I wonder, "Is this doing anything?" "Will this make any difference at all?"
I tend to think that any awareness is good awareness. I feel the more people know about this devastating, horrible condition the better. But I have to admit, the stories on TV, the emails, and the mailed materials can be so depressing when you have a child with autism.
The general public sees these stories or reads up on autism and they maybe think how lucky they are. How lucky to have "normal" children. How lucky that they do not have to live everyday with someone with autism. They hug their children a little tighter or maybe feel a little more compassion for those of us with autistic children.
We parents, the ones who haven't forgotten about autism since the day our children were diagnosed, are happy to have a month devoted to autism but this month does bring up alot of our bad memories of the past and our fears for our futures.
Our past memories are full of the pain from seeing our children lose skills while their peers thrive. Our memories are full of the sadness and despair that we felt at diagnosis. These memories include the anger at the autism and the hatred towards those who choose not to take the time to understand the condition. We remember how deeply devastated we were during this time and wonder how we made it through this period of our life.
Autism awareness reminds us of our fears. When we see a video clip on autism, we relate to the parents, we see our child with autism in the children in the videos. It shows us how severe autism can be. The statistics about autism scare us. The unknowns about autism scare us even more. It reminds us that when we look at our child with autism, we don't see the child we thought we would see. We see our fears for that child. We see a human being that will always need substantial support from us for the rest of our lives. Then what? We wonder what will happen to this child when we are no longer around. We wonder what her life is going to be like as a child, as a teenager, as an adult?
I am very proud that there is attention being drawn to my daughter's disability. I hope the attention leads to progress in the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Whether I am heartbroken over her diagnosis or content with the knowledge that this is what we are facing (I go back and forth on this many times throughout each day), I will always be an advocate for her and the millions of other children and adults who do not have a voice to be heard.
For the past two years, I have fought for your health, your therapies, your education. For the past two years, I have tried to learn as much as I possibly could about your condition. For the past two years, I have not had one day where I did not think and worry about your condition. For the past two years, I have been your mommy, your caretaker, your advocate. For the past two years, you have been my daughter. We have been through a lot in these two years since diagnosis. We have both grown so much. Autism will not take our relationship from us. Abigail, you are my daughter. I am your mother...forever.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Count Your Blessings
I am very proud of my 4 1/2 year old daughter who has autism. She struggles with so many things in life that her sisters and peers do not have to. She amazes me with her talents and abilities. She will always have my respect for the health problems she has acquired because of her autism.
This little girl endures many doctor's appointments, testing for neurological and physical issues, and many blood draws that would make any kid scream. She handles these appointments (mostly) with a cheerful demeanor. She screams at times and does not understand why she must endure another needle stick. I wish I could do these things for her but I can not.
She has seen developmental pediatricians, regular pediatricians, occupational therapists, speech therapists, feeding therapists, psychologists, ENT's, neurologists, GI doctors, endocrinologists, and many more throughout her short 4 1/2 years of life. She see doctors at least every other month.
She holds illnesses longer than the average child. A cold can last two weeks for her. She is prone to ear infections. She has had 3 sets of tube in 4 years. She gets very ill from spring and fall allergies. If someone sneezes around her, she will be sick in a few days.
She does not understand illness. She can not tell you in any way why she is sick. She shuts down. She stops drinking, eating, and focusing. She melts down. The pain of the illness is too much for her. She reverts to wanting to be by herself. She cries and screams and tries everything she knows to stop feeling so miserable.
Autism has given her a lower, less active immune system. Autism has taken away her ability to communicate what is wrong with her and how she feels. Autism has made her a patient of about every pediatric speciality doctor at UNC hospitals. Autism has made Mommy and Daddy frequent fliers at the hospital and clinics.
Still, we know there are much worse situations we could be in. As you walk through hospitals and clinics, you see kids getting cancer treatments, kids who can walk and may never be able to, kids who can't be kids because of their disabilities.
We are grateful for Abigail. We are so lucky to have her in our lives. We wish seeing all these doctors and specialists were not part of her life or ours, but know that they always will play a part in our lives. We admire Abigail for all she has been through and will continue to go through. She has more strength and stamina than most adults.
Take time to think about how lucky you are to have healthy children. If your child has minor health issues, like colds, allergies, and ear infections, you are lucky. Take time to give your children an extra hug, to talk to them about their day, just to love them. Look in your child for their strength. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Something we learned a long time ago. Things can always be worse and a lot of people have it a lot worse than you do.
This is what I remember everytime I stand next to Abigail getting blood drawn or getting put to sleep to endure yet another procedure. I will forever count my blessings. I have three of the best blessings in the world...Abigail, Audrey, and Allie.
This little girl endures many doctor's appointments, testing for neurological and physical issues, and many blood draws that would make any kid scream. She handles these appointments (mostly) with a cheerful demeanor. She screams at times and does not understand why she must endure another needle stick. I wish I could do these things for her but I can not.
She has seen developmental pediatricians, regular pediatricians, occupational therapists, speech therapists, feeding therapists, psychologists, ENT's, neurologists, GI doctors, endocrinologists, and many more throughout her short 4 1/2 years of life. She see doctors at least every other month.
She holds illnesses longer than the average child. A cold can last two weeks for her. She is prone to ear infections. She has had 3 sets of tube in 4 years. She gets very ill from spring and fall allergies. If someone sneezes around her, she will be sick in a few days.
She does not understand illness. She can not tell you in any way why she is sick. She shuts down. She stops drinking, eating, and focusing. She melts down. The pain of the illness is too much for her. She reverts to wanting to be by herself. She cries and screams and tries everything she knows to stop feeling so miserable.
Autism has given her a lower, less active immune system. Autism has taken away her ability to communicate what is wrong with her and how she feels. Autism has made her a patient of about every pediatric speciality doctor at UNC hospitals. Autism has made Mommy and Daddy frequent fliers at the hospital and clinics.
Still, we know there are much worse situations we could be in. As you walk through hospitals and clinics, you see kids getting cancer treatments, kids who can walk and may never be able to, kids who can't be kids because of their disabilities.
We are grateful for Abigail. We are so lucky to have her in our lives. We wish seeing all these doctors and specialists were not part of her life or ours, but know that they always will play a part in our lives. We admire Abigail for all she has been through and will continue to go through. She has more strength and stamina than most adults.
Take time to think about how lucky you are to have healthy children. If your child has minor health issues, like colds, allergies, and ear infections, you are lucky. Take time to give your children an extra hug, to talk to them about their day, just to love them. Look in your child for their strength. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Something we learned a long time ago. Things can always be worse and a lot of people have it a lot worse than you do.
This is what I remember everytime I stand next to Abigail getting blood drawn or getting put to sleep to endure yet another procedure. I will forever count my blessings. I have three of the best blessings in the world...Abigail, Audrey, and Allie.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)