Caregiving, Challenges, Down Syndrome, Special Needs Parenting
Evana Sandusky
For When You Don’t Feel Thankful

My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.

For When You Don’t Feel Thankful
Challenges, Hope, Scripture, Special Needs Parenting
Kara Dedert
When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this? 

When Thankfulness Seems Impossible
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Sunita Theiss
Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, ...

I first suspected I had ADHD as a teenager, but finding the right professional to take me seriously was much harder than I expected. Previous attempts only ended in frustration and tears.

Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, Through My Children’s Diagnosis
Caregiving, Challenges, Living Life Daily
Jolene Philo
Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy

Enjoying the holidays with a food allergy sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? After all, eating together is an integral component of the holiday season. I looked forward to making our traditional holiday foods until I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy in 2012. What was to enjoy about the holidays when the foods associated with it were off limits to me?

Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy
Caregiving, Challenges, Grief, Hope, Special Needs Parenting
John Fela (Felageller)
A New Home

It was a short, ten-minute drive from the hotel to the residential facility. I maintained composure while I navigated the busy public roads, and then residential streets. I had a whole range of emotions racing through my body, mind and spirit as we pulled into the campus. This was not just a pleasure drive or a routine errand, this was a significant milestone in the life of my son and our family.

A New Home

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When the Grief of Disability Caregiving Threatens to Break You

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When the Grief of Disability Caregiving Threatens to Break You

When the grief of caregiving pushes you to your breaking point, what can you do? Jolene Philo shares how she is learning to focus on today.

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The Challenge of Caregiving for Those with Hidden Disabilities

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The Challenge of Caregiving for Those with Hidden Disabilities

“I don’t see anything wrong with that child.” Give it 10 minutes; give it an hour. Take time to be with “that child” or “that adult,” and then you will be able to discern what makes them different, where they excel, and where they need additional help.

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The Beauty of Disability

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The Beauty of Disability

My pastor was introducing a new sermon series about beauty when four words took up residence in my mind: the beauty of disability. If we believe that all people are created in the image of God, that includes those with disabilities. Therefore, I believe in the beauty of disability.

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How Can I Make You Feel Safe?

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How Can I Make You Feel Safe?

Our job as caregivers, whatever the age of those in our care, is to make them feel safe. Which is why we should ask the same question every day–How can I make you feel safe?–and observe the words and behaviors of our loved ones, so we can create the secure environment they need.

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The Power of an Open Window

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The Power of an Open Window

For years, my elderly mother insisted on having her window shades shut. Recently, we had her window shades open, and the improvement in her mood, and even her overall health, has been phenomenal. Here are some tips on how to harness the power of an open window for caregiving families.