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

Caregiving

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I Need a Vacation from Vacation!

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I Need a Vacation from Vacation!

The aftermath of being gone for a long vacation was substantial. But as I reflected upon the dear friends and familiar places we visited, my perception of my present situation was changed.

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When You're Struggling with God's Timing

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When You're Struggling with God's Timing

Do you believe you are in God’s will, and that’s He’s working on your needs? That's a question that challenges most of us, at some time or another. Melanie Gomez offers encouragement from God's Word, for those times when you need an answer and are struggling to wait on His timing.

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Invitations, Expectations and Obligations: Finding the Right Mix for Caregiver Support

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Invitations, Expectations and Obligations: Finding the Right Mix for Caregiver Support

Parents of children living with disability or complex medical conditions find themselves needing to recruit an army of resources and a robust system of supports. But asking for help can be so painful. An invitation-without-obligation approach to asking for help can offer valuable insight for our situations.

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What Makes Me Cry as a Caregiver?

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What Makes Me Cry as a Caregiver?

What makes me cry as a caregiver is a list that keeps getting longer. Think of it as reverse bucket list. But really, what makes me cry as a caregiver can be boiled down to two interconnected truths.