I’d like to begin this new endeavor with a sincere “Thank
You” to the countless people who helped our little family in many different
ways. The saying “It takes a village to
raise a child” is especially true in our situation.
First, and most importantly, we are thankful for our family
which may be small in number but big on heart.
Tyler’s great-grandparents made sure he was well-versed in the art of
eating and drinking nearly anything, including cookies and coffee from an early
age. Both sets of grandparents made
contributions in more ways than I could ever list here. From giving us a few hours of relief for a
date night, to helping with Samantha, helping us to move, and even taking
vacations with us. And so many things in
between.
Next we have always had amazing friends and neighbors who
have shown us love and support. Each
home we have lived in, the neighborhood got to know us by my walks with Tyler and
we would steadily get to know most of them along our route. For years our close friends would be
understanding to our special needs and generously work around them. These are people that we love like family and
owe a great deal to.
Another area where we have been especially blessed has been
with the educators in Tyler’s life. He
had a most special teacher for the majority of his schooling and teams of
therapists and assistants who helped him develop to greater potential than we
ever anticipated.
Medically, Tyler has had doctors and nurses who have taken
very good care of him, which is something I will touch upon in an upcoming
entry. But the bottom line is that one
of the biggest impacts we have ever made is to ensure that Tyler is being cared
for by people who genuinely care about him.
And once we found that combination of professionalism and compassion, we
held on with both hands.
Last, but certainly not least we appreciate everything that
his current residential program, and day program, are doing to give him an
incredibly fulfilling quality of life.
Again, we have found professionals who embrace him and treat him with
dignity and respect. A special thanks to
his case manager for opening doors that helped us to improve life for the
entire family.
Overall we are thankful to have had every member of our village. Tyler’s thus far successful transition into
his adult residence is a tribute to the love and hard work each person has
provided. We offer our sincere and
humble thanks to all of you.
This blog is dedicated to Tyler’s “village”.
Be well and Good Luck.
