THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT MY CHILD WAS DISABLED.

When you are a parent, disability is not a word that you are expecting to hear or prepared to accept. What is it about that word that frightens us? Is it the assumption that your child is expected to born “perfectly normal” or is it the lack of confidence to acknowledge the condition and move on in order to provide the appropriate care. 

When a doctor or other professional break the news to a parent, the first though that comes to mind is why me? What follows after that self-question is a myriad of emotions, searching mentally for what exactly they did wrong, a sense of guilt, sadness, frustration and ultimately, lack of direction.  Nevertheless, this blog post is not about the parent. It is primarily about what parents are going to do to ensure the child lives a productive “normal” life. The focus should be to work on a plan of action to develop the child’s maximum potential while providing tons of daily support and encouragement, searching for the best education, counseling or therapy and establishing a strong social network of family and friends. No one should be isolated from daily living just because of a disability. I always say “a disability is not who you are, is just a condition that you have. 

Finally, once a plan of action is established, it is time for the parent to take care of him/herself. If people are mentally deprived of a “normal” daily happy life, they will not be equipped to provide the best care for the children. Therefore, eat well, exercise and last but not least, laugh out loud, love others, love yourself, don’t take life too seriously, live life with a passion, have fun and find a positive balance for inner happiness. After all, life is too short for not being happy every minute of it. You deserve it!

Love You, Angie