When I read the viral Facebook post about the letter a family affected by disability received, I felt sick. (More on that HERE) In fact, it took me right back to opening a letter addressed to us. Additionally, that Facebook family from Newark Delaware has heard from countless others who have also been on the receiving end. I also know others. We all know about Facebook bullying and flaming, but apparently old school letters are still in production. Plus, they can be left anonymously. Cowards. Families affected by disability are already generally hyper aware of being in the spotlight. They don't need someone to enlighten them. When our two were still little we lived in a house on a corner...first one in a cul-de-sac development. The bus needed to park at the end of the driveway and load them up with the stop sign arm out. ONE AT A TIME. Believe me, I felt the pain of that for anyone who mis-timed their departure for work and had to wait once the stop sign unfolded. Each new bus driver would receive my pleas to let people pass the bus on our relatively quiet Continue Reading
Free YMCA membership
It's fun to play at the... Did you know you can receive free membership with your Medicaid card at many YMCA's? For almost two decades we looked wistfully at the fabulous YMCAs in our community. Then unexpectedly we recently discovered that our daughters are able to enjoy free membership using their Medicaid cards! Additionally, because they are physically disabled and not able to attend independently, they are permitted to have their personal care assistant join them with no added cost. This is great news because we can access activities without having to use money we budgeted for other things! While each club is unique there are many things to explore within the exercise rooms and, our personal favorite, the pool. There is something for every ability with zero cost! The friendly atmosphere is sure to be a hit with our girls and others who are looking for some personal interaction and new surroundings outside of the house. As we unloaded and headed into our local "Y" I felt a bit anxious that people would give us those long looks of curiosity. Instead we were given a warm Continue Reading
