On September 25th we set out to Dracut Massachusetts to participate in the Joseph Middlemiss Superhero 5K race. The Joesph Middlemiss Foundation was started in memory of a courageous boy who was born with a rare congenital heart disease known as cardiomyopathy. The missions of the foundation is to promote random acts of kindness and to contribute to spread awareness of childhood heart conditions while providing financial, social, and emotional assistance to families impacted by these conditions. Dick and Rick Hoyt have graciously shown their support for this race for the past three years. Not only do they arrive with their big Hoyt trailer packed with running chairs for people to use if needed, but they also always show up with such positive energy. I left the race with all of the following: Inspiration: People of all different ages push individuals with various disabilities and of various ages. A daughter pushes a mother; a … [Read more...]
Lasting Friendships
In mid-august, we received a postcard in the mail about soccer starting. I promptly emailed the coach to get more information about the program and how long it would last: practice twice a week culminating in a tournament in mid-October. Of course, this is not your typical recreation soccer, Far Post, or Nordic soccer programs. We are talking about Special Olympics Soccer. One of the coaches of the soccer program is a man named Giles Willey. Giles works at Vermont Systems Inc, which has generously supported Kayla’s Directory. Jessica Valley coaches the more advanced team. I babysat Jessica 20+ years ago with her two siblings and two cousins, all part of the very respectable Willey family from Essex. There are several other coaches helping out as well, all of whom are amazing. They really take their time to teach these players the skills, the plays, and the strategies of playing soccer. As an added bonus, the program is very … [Read more...]
“A Little Something” gives big
It never fails to amaze me how much some individuals go above and beyond to assist people with special needs. It becomes especially apparent when you enter a local store and see employees who have disabilities. This tells you a lot right off the bat about the owner of the business and the compassion that they have in helping those that are different. When I walked into the beautiful shop "A Little Something" in Shelburne, I began talking to Deirdre, who owns the shop. I have been going to A Little Something since it opened years ago. Little did I know the positive impact that Deirdre has been having on our community all this time. Deirdre has been in touch with Howard Center for Human Services for several years and has been hiring individuals with disabilities to help out in her store. Attached are the questions that I asked Deirdre about her experience. When reading it, I was brought to tears. I have become connected with a lot … [Read more...]
The power of friendships
I have always said that community is key to helping families who have a child with special needs. When families feel supported by their community, whether that is accessibility in a grocery store, accessible programs or activities, or being part of team through a school, a sense of community helps the family feel like they belong. But as Kayla gets older I am realizing that she wants to feel a different kind of connection: a connection with peers. Many special needs parents talk about their child not having many friends in school. Many special needs children have impaired social skills that can make friendships challenging. Their ability to connect with peers could be impeded by their inability to communicate, their physical limitations, or in some cases their plain “quirkiness”. Whatever the reason, many of them don’t develop that special bond with another peer. I throw Kayla in as many adaptive programs as possible. Whether she … [Read more...]
Magnificent Mothers
This week, I was able to connect with two different mothers who have children with special needs. Although our children’s disabilities are different from one another, we made many connections as parents. We talked about our children’s strengths, weaknesses, activities that are available to our children, IEPs, navigating the system, etc... But what resonated most was the struggles that we all face while raising a child with special needs. Both of these women are amazing, loving, and intelligent mothers. They have both learned the importance of personally advocating for their children. Whether this advocacy takes the form of asking the school district to provide more services, navigating their healthcare to pay for medical services or equipment, or speaking out about the challenges they face on a daily basis, these women expend a lot of energy advocating for their special needs children. These women also talk about the challenges that … [Read more...]