Parents & Caregivers

By Chris Kain, kellisaspath.com Kellisa—my 2 pound, 1 ounce micro-preemie miracle daughter was born in 1999 with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, significant developmental delays, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome—has always traveled well. I believe it started when she was a baby and had to travel 138 miles round trip several times a week to see…

By Mollie Wilson Regardless of if you are caring for a child, sibling, or other family member, being a caregiver for love ones is truly a never-ending job. With appointments, balancing schedules, household tasks, and much more, it’s no wonder many who care for loved one’s report feeling immense amounts of stress in their everyday…

By Diana Popescu We all know that motivated, enthusiastic children are happier and more fulfilled. But growing up with a disability can be frustratingly demotivating at times. Children might find themselves comparing their bodies with their able-bodied peers, or getting frustrated at their inability to do certain tasks easily or quickly. As the parent of…

By Ericka Polanco Webb, Becoming the Mrs. Motherhood Blog Playdates and playgrounds. I vividly remember, my son was at the age when climbing trees, hanging on monkey bars and running up and down the slide was the highlight of children his age. However, this was not the case for him. He’s a wheelchair-using child that has…

Kyle Fiorelli was a special education teacher with a special problem. “When looking at books that feature children with disabilities, I found that most of them focused on the disability.” Fiorelli shares. Kyle began her career as an aide to a young girl with cerebral palsy named Maggie, and there was no good representation in any…

By Tracy Suzanne Williams The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as other healthcare organizations promote the importance of family meals. Families who frequently eat together are more likely to be closer because family meals give children and adults alike an opportunity to discuss their day. The Family Meal Project says that children and…

By Tanya Sheckley, Up Academy This is Harold on Wheels. He is a Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Scottish Deerhound and some other stuff. He’s pure mutt, which we know because we had his DNA tested. Harold shows people everywhere that all we really need is love and acceptance to thrive. I first saw Harold when he was…

By Karen Kain, Lorrin’s World I was at a block party with my new neighbors last week. It surprised me that every neighbor who attended was either a parent of a child with a disability or working in the field. As we stood in the street comparing our experiences, all completely different, one neighbor of…

By Katie Wilson, Cordbloodbanking.com In the last two decades, hematopoietic stems cells (HSCs) drawn from the umbilical cord blood have thrown the doors open to scores of medical breakthroughs and they are used in treatment for more than 80 different diseases, including certain types of cancer. Since the first successful cord blood therapy in 1988, more…

By Julie Keon Julie is the mother of a child with disabilities and shares her wisdom and experience in this powerful essay. I sensed someone watching me as I comforted my daughter after a particularly traumatizing dentist appointment at the Children’s Hospital. I looked up and saw you staring at us from across the waiting…

By Dr. Darla Clayton, PsyD, The Mobility Resource 1) You are not alone.There may not be anyone else with the same constellation of symptoms as your child but there are people with similar challenges. Find those people. I have never met anyone with all of these same challenges as my kid but I have a strong network within…

By Lisa Wells, Cure Medical Parents often arrive at the Abilities Expo looking for resources and services that can help their child who has a disability or special needs. That’s why we are so excited to share a free, new resource from Cure Medical designed especially for children by pediatric nurses! The Cure Medical Pediatric Education program is…