Thank you to TeamHealther April Roga for her wonderful and inspiring 2015 Resolution story. Thanks for sharing it and we wish you all the best on this powerful goal you have in mind! My 2015 Resolution: RAISING AUTISM AWARENESS & ACCEPTANCE I have been a TeamHealth employee for 20 years. When I relocated to Knoxville from our South Florida offices, I never dreamed I would become a mom (due to medical limitations), let alone become a mom to a handsome little nonverbal boy on the autism spectrum. However, this is the hand that was dealt to me and my husband 4 1/2 years ago. I often find myself running into acquaintances in our small community when I am out and about with my son, many who are not aware of my sons autism diagnosis. When they lean in to speak with him and introduce themselves to him, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of having to explain that he is almost 5 years old and cannot speak. Many times, I introduce him by his diagnosis before his name to avoid hard feelings in which the acquaintance may think my son is being rude by not speaking. Being special needs parents is what I deem a difficult blessing. Yes, it is a difficult journey, but not a responsibility that we hide from or regret. Our son is the best blessing we have ever received, and he has taught us so much, with more yet to come. For the past couple of years, Ive been researching what it takes to start a special needs nonprofit in East Tennessee. Yes, we already have the Autism Society and other similar nonprofits among us, but I am interested in starting a nonprofit that is like none that we have seen in our community, and I envision it being inclusive of ALL with special needs. I havent officially pursued it up until this point due to limited funds for 501(c)(3) filing and being able to narrow the focus of our vision (because there are so many wonderful things we want to do for the special needs community). However, our vision is now becoming clearer each and every day that we watch our son develop and overcome his many challenges. I really feel in my heart and soul that THIS is going to be the right year to take the plunge. We have met and formed bonds with other special needs parents in East TN and learned more on our journey. THIS is going to be the year to really bring autism and other special needs diagnoses to the forefront for full inclusion and acceptance! The first thing I want our community to know about autism as we begin this new year is that autism is a neurological disorder, and you cannot tell someone has autism by their appearance alone. Please wish us luck and send us lots of positive thoughts for this new year as we inch closer towards reaching our dreams and creating a nonprofit that will someday become a legacy for our son!
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:43:04 +0000
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