Hopes, dreams, and aspirations…

Hopes, dreams, and aspirations. As parents, we begin fantasizing about the future of our children very early on, many times from the moment we learn we are pregnant. The possibilities are endless within the safety of our imaginations.

Sadly for many, those hopes, dreams, and aspirations are shattered in an instant when their child receives a diagnosis of autism, which can seem like a life sentence of hopelessness. As a parent of a child with autism, and one with severe ADHD, I feel compelled to share our story. Our story of hope. My ultimate goal is that you will find something useful, and if nothing else encouraging. The main thing I hope to convey is that there is hope for kids who have been diagnosed with lifelong disabilities.

My husband and I have endured both extreme challenges and joys throughout our journey with autism, ADHD, as well as having wonderfully healthy third child.

I became a warrior mom fighting for my kids’ lives. Fighting for my kids to have the ability to live fulfilling lives, fighting for health, fighting to bring our son back from the abyss of autism, fighting for their rights in school, fighting with the stigma society threw our way because people just didn’t understand. Every single day, I dressed in my armor because I was a warrior.

I spent hours, days, and sometimes weeks researching every therapy and treatment we have tried, many of them unconventional or what wouldn’t be considered “mainstream”. Most all of them were beneficial to some degree. Because of this, I have been asked numerous times to recount our story, and discuss the various therapies and treatments we have used. I decided it was time to tell our story in an effort to help others who might have either had or are having some of the same issues we have endured.

I am not in any way suggesting that anything that we have done with our kids will be the answer for everyone. One thing that we know for certain is that no two people are alike. This is our story. I’ll begin with giving a little background of events that led up to an eventual diagnosis, and then take you through many of the therapies and treatments we have used, and in many instances provide you with the benefit of “If I knew then what I know now AND had access to the resources I have now”, what I would have done differently.

Of additional value, Maureen McDonnell, RN will include her vast knowledge of many of the treatments and therapies we have used (and some we didn’t pursue), as well as how some of the issues we faced could have been PREVENTED. So, watch for her commentary throughout various posts as Nurse Mo’s Notes.

Hopefully, you will find some useful information in this blog to empower you in your own journey through life, and if nothing else I hope you will be encouraged. There is hope for kids who have been diagnosed with lifelong disabilities such as autism and ADHD, and it is my honor to share with you the pearls of wisdom we have gained paving the path for our kids.