Wednesday, June 3, 2015

It takes a village...



Last week, Levi graduated from VPK. There was a little ceremony in his classroom and everyone was so proud of him. It was a great time to recollect on all his achievements from the past year. He has made such great progress. He is walking really well and almost running. He can even jump now. He is starting to put together two and three word sentences. He knows his alphabet and count to 10. He has a long way to go but we are so happy with where he is at today. A lot of work went into this year. Not just from Levi, but also from his support team.

You are all probably familiar with the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to raising a special needs child. Your support group is one of the biggest assets you have.

Levi has a lot of people who love and support him and wouldn’t be where he is today without them. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate every last one of them!

To the doctors and specialist: You guided us through the maze of testing and worked to get us a diagnosis. You put us on the right path to beginning treatments and therapy. For this, we thank you!

To all of the therapist who work with Levi on a daily basis: You have all been amazing. Through your patience, determination and words of encouragement you have helped Levi accomplish so much. Your dedication and positive attitude has had a calming influence on us during times of frustration. For this, we thank you!

To the other families of special needs children we have encountered over the years: We appreciate you sharing your stories with us. Sharing your experiences with us to help make Levi’s day to day a little better. For this, we thank you! We hope our experiences has helped you as well.

To our friends: Your guidance, understanding and overwhelming support has helped and lifted up in some many ways. For this, we thank you!

To our family: Your willingness to help with whatever and whenever is truly appreciated. We could not have accomplished everything we have without you. From helping us out with appointments and schedules, to just giving us a night off. You are very important part of Levi’s life and have been a critical piece of his current successes. We love you and thank you!

For anyone I missed, your contributions haven’t gone unnoticed. We certainly thank you as well.

Raising a special needs child isn’t easy. It’s a lot of work and you can’t go it alone. I urge you to keep building your support group. It is always good to gain a fresh perspective on things. Talk to people that face the same challenges as you and share your experiences with them. Share resources when you can. It takes a village to raise a child. Appreciate their time and efforts and if you haven’t done so recently, thank them for all that they do!