Please Remember the Kids Like My Daughter
I can’t catch my breath. Not because I’m sick. But because I’m scared.
I know that this is a difficult time for all of us. I’m especially scared though for my daughter Liz and for other kids with special needs. And for their families.
Liz’s therapy center is now closed indefinitely. No ABA, no speech therapy, no occupational therapy.
I am scared that she will regress and lose much of the progress that she has made without access to these therapies. She has worked too hard and come too far to let that happen.
As special needs parents, we don’t have anyone to care for our kids. Many of our kiddos, even though they should be old enough to leave home alone, need constant supervision and we don’t have anyone that we trust to do that for us.
If we are fortunate enough to be able to work from home (I am not), we will not get any work done. We will be lucky if we can take a shower. I know that is true for many of you with young children. It’s especially true in our homes.
We have nowhere to go. As many of you know, Liz likes to get out of the house. On a daily basis, she is used to going to Target, Walmart, indoor play areas, anywhere really.
For the past 2 nights, I have resorted to driving around in the car with her for an hour just to get out of the house. If we can’t go out, she will often cry, scream or become physically aggressive toward the rest of us.
It’s a side of caring for Liz that I don’t often talk about, but it’s real.
I’m scared because if Liz or any of the rest of us get sick, it will be nearly impossible to keep our distance from her.
I am sad because Liz loves swimming lessons, Miracle League baseball and horse therapy. I don’t know if she will be able to do any of it this year.
Last week Liz had her first swimming lesson. It will most likely be the last.
I am sad because I know that Liz doesn’t understand all of this and how can I possibly explain it to her?
I know that this time is hard for all of us, but as some people are stocking up on library books to read or making jokes about homeschooling, please remember the special needs kids and their families.
If you pray, please pray for us. Or even just reach out with a text to be sure that we are ok. We are not ok.
Written by, Dr. Carrie Kremer
My name is Dr. Carrie Kremer. My husband and I are both physicians and we have 3 children ages 12, 14 and 16. On our Facebook page Lessons from Liz, I write about our youngest daughter Liz. I enjoy sharing the lessons that we are learning from her unique outlook on life! If you have a special needs child or you just have days when you struggle to see the bright side, I would love for you to follow our journey on Facebook at Lessons from Liz. https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromliz/.
Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.
