I shared a lot in the last week about what my family has been through and where we are headed. And I really will share a lot of the nitty gritty, what I am learning and how to navigate all I am learning to navigate in this new season for us. But for today I will focus on what I am thankful for because - tis' the season!!
First of all, I am thankful for the support I got when I shared the details of our family's journey. Doing so was not easy, even for the mom who advocates all day every day and wears her heart on her sleeve. But the support, the compassion and the gentle suggestions that were given to me after were received with a heart of thankfulness. We have recently made our circle a little smaller because the issues have been bigger and, honestly it felt safe and protective to do that. But I have been thankful for the support we have received in my sharing, the love that has been shred the prayers we know are being said for all of us. For all of you - I am thankful.
As I am sharing more of my story I am getting attention from some who have a bigger stage. Hearing and sharing the details of that night in July of 2023 when our son was left in our front yard by (what would end up being the first) the ambulance was when our life was forever changed. I have had some in that profession telll me that I could go after said agencies and have people lose their jobs, get fired, etc... I have the utmost respect for EMS and the difficult job that they do with split second life and death decision made in the field. Our country is facing a huge shortage in paramedics and EMS, in general. I do not find any benefit in "punishing" or spending my time and energy to make people pay. I do not believe that anyone purposefully left my child on the front lawn to think he was left to die. What I do feel needs to happen is we need to continue to educate, we need to take bias and assumptions out of treatment. We need to "see" invisible illnesses as they are. I never want another person to go through what he went through. And in the next few months I am doing things that have assured my voice will be heard loud and clear on that. For those allowing me to share our story more - I am thankful.
I have also found resources that are available to all that have been beyond valuable to me, who has been trying to run a 501c3 and care for our son, who has had multiple needs and doctor's appointments this last year and a half. The one that I see as being most beneficial and probably least talked about is the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. I know every state has something along those lines. We are big on trying to help our son find his purpose in life, how he wants to spend his days as a young adult - and playing video games and watching NBA is not the complete answer to this. So, I reached out to see what this agency could help us with - and I have been blown away!! They sat with both of us the first time to get his basic information. Then he went through about 5 hours of aptitude, ability and skill testing along with speaking with someone qualified to help him determine a good path for him. After all of this he walked away with a list of about 15 potential careers with paths to get there. Most include going back to commubnity college and the incuded the accommodations that would best him succeed in the classroom. I am thankful beyond words for showing my son there is a world out there that he has potential to succeed in.
Then I wanted him to job shadow before jumping in with both feet. A woman who is part of our online support groups has jumped in with both feet on this. She has taken on our son and finding him an approproate job shadow position where he will get a more than adequate look at being a paralegal. She does not live in this state , but contacted well-regarded law firms and within a week he has a position there for two weeks in January with a named partner pretty much taking him under his wing and working with three paralegals to see different perspectives and ways of working within that profession. This woman went ahead and made a resume for our son, learned about him and basically did a whole interview about why they should do this for him! It has been incredible and a huge weight of my shoulders because while DVR was willing to try to help with it - no one had ever asked for that before and they were having a hard time doing this. I am thankful for this angel who has been helping navigate this when my plate was already so full.
And then, lastly I am going to thank people who havve probably surprised me the most!! In my real job I am often in tuch with legislators about this, that and every other thing. Our local congressman in teh House of Reporesentative's office knows me by voice when I call the office (I do not call more than once a month, I promise!!). But I have found in that applying for SSI/SSDI they can help anyone and put "congressional interest" on an application. All the information is on their website! But it goes furhter than that. I was on with my Sentor's office earlier this week wearing my nonprofit hat and was very clear that was what I was calling about, but in the conversation I did say that I wanted ot make sure that it was clear I was calling on that not onmy son's appeal. The net day I get an email from the aide that I had spoken to saying she remembered that in our conversation about the other issue I mentioned that the appeal had been filed by our attorney, that she looekd it up and already marked it with congressional interest. I am thankful that in a workd with so much political strife, these people are really there to help!
So, there is my list of thankful in this step of our journey. I hope that you found something helpful in this - a different perspective, a different resource or maybe just a ittle reprieve from the daily grind. I hope that regardless of your circumstances as we come upon this day of thankfulness, you find the things to be thankful for even in the darkest of times.
Feel free to share with me resources that you are thankful for, people who have helped you in your journey or anything else you find yourself thankful for this Thanksgiving.
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