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…
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…
It was the holiday season of 1993 and Barbe was the single mother of 3 children, two daughters and a son, Christopher, who had Touretts, epilepsy, OCD, ADHD and Neurofibromatosis. Because of her son’s serious health care issues he received Social Security benefits and Medicaid. That was until 3 months after Barbe worked two hours…
So here I am pretending I know what I’m doing in writing a “blog”, and to be completely honest, I have no idea what I’m suppose to say. Nor have I ever written “outside-the-box” (well, there was a couple poems for the magazine “Seventeen” many moons ago). People often ask me, how I got in…
Graduation Day. It’s here. After more than 15 years of school. A day filled with pride, excitement, anticipation…and relief. A day we were never sure we would have the opportunity to celebrate. There were no guarantees he would graduate. And, as with most things concerning Connor, he kept us guessing until the very last assignment…
Let’s face it, being the parent of a child with special needs can be one of the most amusing jobs on earth. There are a lot of emotions that we experience as parents and family members. Often, the ones we talk about the most are negative and difficult to deal with, but sometimes, it is…
Susan Tanori is a mother of a daughter with autism and a Stone Soup Group Parent Navigator in Fairbanks, Alaska. Below she describes how a recent training she provided “became a confessional.” Read on to see how she opened up about some of the most difficult aspects of being a caregiver. Recently, I presented a workshop on “Caring for…
