To the Caregivers, You are not Alone
My good friends Kate at Finding Cooper’s Voice and Amanda at Jackson’s Journey, Jackson’s Voice, have started a campaign called More than a Caregiver.
They are raising money so they can help give special needs caregivers free therapy sessions.
It’s so important for special needs parents to know that they have somewhere to turn when it gets tough, that someone understands them and that they are not alone.
I’ve been interviewing a lot of moms this last year.
One thing they all say is that the pandemic has helped people realize what special needs parents had been going through before Covid.
It’s isolating, not being able to take your family places. Feeling alone, not sure people understand what you are going through.
If we have learned one thing this last year, it’s that mental healthcare in the United States is terrible. Healthcare in general is terrible but especially mental health.
I myself struggled with this.
We’ve been lucky that Henry loves to go out in the community, he is a great little traveler.
I’m a traveler, I love to explore. Being stuck in the house was hard for all of us. Henry was starting to regress in some areas and not seeing people was a strain on me.
We as caregivers need to be able to get out and do things on our own but it’s hard for families with special needs.
We can’t just call up someone to come watch our kids. When you have a non speaking child, you have to put all your trust in that person because your child can’t tell you if something went wrong. Families are having a hard time finding respite because there is a shortage and their children have higher needs.
Right now just having a shower can be considered self care. Right now going to the bathroom by yourself can be considered self care. Right now sitting down for 5 min to drink your coffee while it’s hot can be considered self care.
You are more than a Caregiver, but when your child’s needs are high you sometimes lose yourself in the process.
#fcvblogsquad#morethanacaregiver
Written by, Rachel Wege Lack
Rachel Lack is a filmmaker and mother to an eight year old autistic boy. She has been filming nine autistic kids in Arizona and Massachusetts for the last 5 years. She is filming these kids all the way to adulthood. The documentary series is called Across the Spectrum. You can follow them all on Facebook at Across the Spectrum: The Doc, Instagram instagram.com/purlingplace and our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/1PurlingPlace
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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.
