“We unintentionally teach them to be uncomfortable with people that are different.”
Dear Parents, Please Teach Your Children About Diversity
‘The dad handed a chocolate donut to his kicking, screaming child. He let her win. ‘My child will never act like that,’ I naively thought.’: Parent urges for grace, ‘We are all trying our best’
“This woman in the supermarket was me 5 years ago. I had it all together. When I saw kids misbehaving, I assumed bad parenting. Then life did a 180. I’m not the supermom I used to be. I’m the mom figuring out how to cope.”
‘I told my future husband, ‘I’m a package deal.’ I was DETERMINED to adopt this little girl who’d stolen my heart years ago.’: Woman adopts after meeting her 6 years prior, ‘I am forever blessed’
“I sat at the bedside of this little girl for hours, counting the cockroaches which ran across the floor. Reluctantly, I picked her up. Soon, she was asleep in my arms. My heart changed.”
‘Will I love him as much as I love my daughter?’ He was placed onto my chest. Suddenly, there was NO fear.’: Mom to son with Down syndrome starts nonprofit, ‘There is joy after grief’
“I’d say to him, ‘I love you so much it HURTS.’ I couldn’t believe there was a time I questioned if this love between the two of us would be possible. I wanted to provide hope for other families.”
‘As I laid eyes on her for the first time, they quickly pointed out everything ‘wrong’ with her.’: Mom ‘blindsided’ by daughter’s Down syndrome diagnosis, ‘I’m no longer afraid’
“Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, the way her tongue rested gently on her bottom lip, and her tiny pinky with the slightest curve. I was in shock.”
‘She is probably tired.’ There was no movement. I found a glimmer of hope. I’d be with her every minute I could.’: Daughter born with Cerebral Palsy, ‘Her strength is inspiring’
“Even in our darkest hours, we find joy. Jaxlee’s smile can light up a room. She shines with joy but also resilience. She has weathered SO much.”
To My Special Needs Sibling, I Will Never Stop Fighting For You
“People tell me all the time, ‘This must be so hard for you.’ ‘I don’t know how you deal with this.’ I don’t ‘deal’ with it, I love and advocate fiercely.”
‘I have two toddlers that need a place to stay.’ He was nonverbal, drug-exposed, and had a brain lesion. We were terrified.’: Military family adopts brothers from foster care, ‘Miracles happen every day’
“We decided to put our YES out there and let God take care of the rest. The social workers started bringing in medical equipment, trash bags full of belongings. It was magical and heartbreaking all at the same time.”
‘What am I doing wrong?’ Our typically fun little boy seemed like a shell of himself. He didn’t like being touched or hugged. I blamed myself.’: Mom shares son’s autism diagnosis journey
“I always knew my son was different. He fixated on things that seemed odd. The way a hairbrush felt, tags on his clothes, the sound the dog’s collar made when he scratched it a certain way. I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job as his mom.”
‘Will Nash be a baby forever?’ There are days where it hits me like a ton of bricks. More than the pain, I feel joy.’: Mom shares son’s journey with rare ADNP syndrome, ‘I can’t imagine a world without him’
“We waited for the phone call that would change our lives forever. The first words out of my mouth were, ‘Is it fatal?’ A giant wave of relief washed over my whole body. I thought this was the end of our worries, but it wasn’t.”
