60yrs

female

Speaks English

My youngest daughter was born with a heart defect. For the first two years of her life, I was actively engaged in providing the additional care that was needed to sustain her life. She is now a thriving, talented and gifted 21-year-old. So I know first hand the care that parents with a special needs child seeks. From the age of 14 until I enrolled in college, I assisted in caring for a child with Cerebral Palsy. She was not able to walk or talk. I was there from the time she arrived home from school in the afternoon until her bedtime. I prepared meals for her, fed her, administered her medications, and bathed her. She was a joy to care for, and I felt honored that her grandmother and parents entrusted me with her care. I enjoy working with individuals with special needs because I believe that it takes a special type to understand and appreciate that while the individual may have challenges they also have talents and gifts that are unique and a great pleasure to experience. I know many parents with special needs children struggle to balance things in their lives while remaining attentive to the needs of their child(ren). Anything I can do to assist them is my goal, and in the end, I feel as if I am the one who has been blessed and rewarded for the experience. In addition to caring for the child with cerebral palsy, I have cared for children with severe asthma, a child who has down syndrome and one who had diabetes. In an educational setting, I have provided services to children with educational challenges as well as those who were blind.