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

Special Needs Parenting

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When You're Suddenly the Sunday School Teacher

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When You're Suddenly the Sunday School Teacher

Leaders in the church who educate children about God are vital to families. For many of us, these church leaders are presently not in our children’s lives, due to crowd restrictions with COVID-19. But faith and understanding about God can occur naturally, if a parent takes a few small steps. Here are three suggestions.

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An Antidote to Panic

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An Antidote to Panic

I’ve found myself feeling unmoored and disoriented the past few weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. All of us have been living on shifting sands, our normal routines disrupted; those things we take for granted, all swept out from under us. We need an antidote to panic!

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Love Language Hacks for the Coronavirus Shutdown

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Love Language Hacks for the Coronavirus Shutdown

Love language hacks for the coronavirus shut down, at least from my vantage point, are an easy stretch. I know this because the hacks have already been created by parents of kids with special needs and disabilities. This post offers a few examples how to create love language hacks for your family, whether or not you are directly involved in caregiving.