Depression is frequently a topic we tip-toe around, especially as caregivers. With all the issues we deal with on a daily basis, our problems are insignificant, right? WRONG! Parent and special needs advocate Maria Pepperworth speaks openly about depression as a caregiver today. Life as a special-needs parent can be exhausting and lonely. Special-needs parents have Learn More
Stories
Single mom raising two teenagers who experience autism
I always get questioned about what it’s like being a single mom raising two teenagers who experience autism. (technically the 18-year-old is considered an adult now). My answer is always pretty much: exhausting, educational, and interesting. Autism is so different in both of them that it really is a new adventure for each. Ty is my Learn More
$1,800 a Day…
Stone Soup Group Board Member, Matt Findley, explains how his son reached the lifetime cap imposed by his employer-based healthcare plan in less than two years. Hear one way Alaskans like his son who are living with a disability would be impacted by potential changes to healthcare. Thank you Matt for sharing your story!
“…we are GROOT” a Guardianship Story
My son Tyler turned 18 this month. With that came a whole new world called guardianship. What a weird feeling it was. Being in a courtroom. Sitting across the room from my son, who was sitting at a table with an attorney he just met. Answering questions and waiting for a judge to grant me Learn More
We are an autism family…
By Maria Pepperworth – Alaskan parent, advocate, rocker! Whenever people ask me about autism I like to use the word experience. My kids “experience” autism. In reality, our whole family “experiences” autism. It impacts the whole family. Autism is different in every person. It’s unpredictable, it’s difficult, it’s amazing, it’s a puzzle. If you would’ve Learn More
What Healthcare Looks Like For My Family…
Having a child with a rare genetic disease or a lifelong disability opens your eyes up to a whole new understanding of how medical care, prescriptions, and insurance work. Before my kids, I thought I understood… You had insurance, you had a co-pay and a deductible, and you got the treatment and medication you needed Learn More
Two Bros
David is a 25-year-old student at UAA who experiences bi-polar disorder as well as ADHD. Today he shares how these special needs and others have impacted his and his brother’s lives. My brother and I were born a year and a month apart. Early on we showed signs of being a little more Learn More
Q & A: Finding community with a rare diagnosis
Jordyn Cleveland was born deaf. In 2013 her and her family found out why. At the age of 13, Jordyn was diagnosed with Usher syndrome a genetic condition that worsens over time and will further affect her vision. In an effort to expand their support, Jordyn and her mother Mandy recently attended the Usher Syndrome Learn More
Brittney’s Story Continued…
The money: There are many factors that make living in Barrow with special needs unlike anywhere else. Basically, living here and having to seek medical professional help = EXPENSIVE and very nerve racking. We have been very lucky with my sister and her getting the medical help she’s needed. But we have also been Learn More
Brittney’s Story: Part 1
Brittney Toalston is sharing her family’s story with us about what it is like to have a family member with special needs in rural Alaska. This story will be delivered in four parts. My family has lived in Barrow, 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle, for the last 29 years. My sister who is Learn More
