How therapy really IS life changing

This last Saturday I had the honor of speaking at Grayson's therapy center, Mighty Oaks, annual fundraising dinner and auction. I wrote what I wanted to present weeks in advance and then set it down and didn't come back to it until Thursday. Mighty Oaks had asked me to speak about what they have done for Grayson, the benefits we see from it. I was worried that what I had written had too much to do with me, with our journey, than with the fruits of their labors. In the end I decided to stick with what I had, including a few more lines that were suggested but a friend who happens to be a wonderful speaker as well. The auction was a success, many funds were raised that go directly to scholarships that pay for therapy services for children whose insurance does not cover anything or much of the services they desperately need. It was a fantastic experience and I hope the people at Mighty Oaks truly know that what I said was genuine and from the bottom of my heart. I have had a lot of people ask me if it was recorded( I HOPE NOT!) so I'm adding it here for everyone to read. I hope you enjoy, and if you live somewhere that you can find a pediatric therapy center to support in any way, please, please, PLEASE do so! We are so blessed to have insurance pay for his visits. Not many of us are and it is so life changing for these kiddos.

I never knew that the hardest, most gut wrenching part of being a parent would be the day we were told our son had autism. For year and a half he had been receiving speech services with Mighty Oaks but we had heard and been telling ourselves it was a speech delay, that the therapy and his surgery would fix everything. I didn’t know then what would be ahead and that truly, my son is NOT broken. He needs more help but he is absolutely, wonderfully, Grayson.

 

I took for granted, some, the support Mighty Oaks offered us. I was so busy waiting for the magic day of normalcy that while I appreciated the staff, loved and valued them, it was just a stage. It wasn’t forever, it was just a stepping stone. We faithfully brought Gray and spoke lovingly of Ms. Melinda and her ever listening ear from school to sleep to potty training.

 

And then. Then we got a word, a label, a diagnosis. It changed our whole world. One 4 hour appointment reworked my entire view on life forever. And at first… it was grief and tears and anger and questions. All the struggles our boy, and we, went through may not be temporary. I constantly played his life out in my mind. What will high school bring? Will he ever be able to live alone? I begged medical professionals for opinions, for prognosis, for a crystal ball so I could know what to prepare for. But none of them could tell me or help ease my fears.

 

I spent a while being angry and searching for blogs, research, centers, resources, anything. For a while I just was. I barely made it from day to day with the weight of my thoughts. I thought we were alone. I alternated from wanting to seclude my boy to wanting to challenge the world to stare or comment. All the while I thought we were alone. We still faithfully brought Gray to speech and then also to occupational therapy. I think that Christmas was the first time after his official diagnosis fog that I started to realize there was a place, a safe haven for my boy, for others like him, for me. I remember going home and crying after the Christmas party. I had a place I could take my boy without judgment or questions. We could go to a party without those weighty stares and feel welcome. Gray could be loved and presented with a gift thought out just for him. Our oldest could go to a party without mom and dad alternating to the car. And if he did meltdown, everyone would get it. It was an amazing feeling.

 

We have incredible friends and family. Truly, But no one gets that look in mine or my husband’s eyes quite like another special needs parent. There is no judgment or pity, just understanding. No one can listen to my concerns and yet love and understand our boy like his amazing mighty oaks therapists. We found our place, our haven. Thank god. I can’t imagine where we would be on this journey without their support and guidance.

 

Any disability, any delay is hard. There is so much misinformation and stigma associated. There is so much isolation and hurt and fear. We NEED places like mighty oaks. We NEED these champions for our kids. Some parents can stand on their own, but most of us need our village. Mighty oaks is an integral part of that. Grayson adores them. He loves coming to therapy. I would move heaven and earth to make sure he could attend. If you could see our life, our boy, almost 2 years ago you would be in awe of the difference and I know without any doubt, his therapy is a key piece of that puzzle.

 

We are blessed beyond measure to be able to have these services 95% paid for by our insurance. My heart quite literally breaks over the idea that any child with need may go without these life changing therapies for any reason. In my days of fear and anxiety and doubt Gray’s therapists have been a beacon of hope. If I just need to vent, to express to someone who, blessedly, gets it, I can do that. Mighty Oaks gives so much more than therapy. They provide a safe place, not only for our kiddos, but for us. For moms and dads and caregivers. They give us a place of comfort and understanding and love. The importance of that should not be lost.

 

I’m not educated in special needs, aside from the last 4 and a half years with our boy. Some days we feel so confused and unsure. But this place, mighty oaks, has given us a refuge. A place for our boy, and a place for us. We have a safe place to land and talk and question and rejoice in our successes. Our lives are forever changed by these wonderful people. I can never say enough or convey enough their value. Mighty Oaks is one of the best things to ever happen to us and our son. These people are real life heroes for our children. Every dollar you give goes directly to changing the lives of children and families. It gives mom's like me the miracle moment when my son can look in someone's eyes and say" bye bye" or finally be able to tell his dad that it is the ketchup he wants thus allowing us to help him and understand his world,  to keep him from melting down because no one can understand what he needs. These services save relationships and families and bring tremendous joy. Please consider giving generously to this unassuming place that changed our lives. There are many children like mine who can't come, many mom's and dad's who don't have help like this and what they need is for the village to reach out and bring them in. Your contribution will help us do that. I am honored to be able to be here tonight and speak about the impact Mighty Oaks has had on our family. Truly, thank you, for everything.