The family that is the subject of today’s interview is more than ‘just right’ – they are wonderful in a million different ways! Read on and see what I mean…
Tell me a little about yourself and your family.
I’m 34 and the mom of two kids: a six and a half year old son named Cameron and a daughter, Jordan, who is almost three! I’m married to my college sweetheart and we are both newsroom managers in Missouri. When I was pregnant with Jordan, I started a blog a couple of weeks into the pregnancy… Little did I know it would become a little place to help me grow into a parent of a child with a difference!
Tell me more about Jordan’s disabilities. Did you know before she was born that she might have disabilities. If not, how did you feel when you discovered it?
Jordan was born missing her left arm just above the elbow. I had no idea about her difference until after she was born. I was actually the first person to notice. It was a special moment with my husband – we looked at each other and were immediately at peace. We knew she’d be okay. The best thing everyone could do would be to help Jordan learn how to be self-sufficient on her own. That was our goal from the start.
You blog a lot about Jordan’s issues. How did you go about making the decision to blog about her? What do you personally get out of blogging about Jordan?
I fell into blogging about Jordan because I was already blogging about her before she was born. At first I found it therapeutic to just write about being a new mommy with a cute little baby and the various therapy things we were working on.
My challenges with work, feeding and driving all over the universe with appointments were overwhelming. As I went on, the site helped me reach out to other parents of limb different kids and I realized I had a chance to use my blog as an outlet and a touchpoint for other parents in a similar situation.
I spent a lot of time connecting with other moms and dads with the help of my blog. I also now help moderate a group called Sammy’s Friends.
How have Jordan’s disabilities affected you as a person and as a mother? What did you do right? What do you wish you had done differently?
I am a totally different person. I kind of feel like I lived an anonymous life and we were placed into a new world. We were chosen to help lead Jordan and our community. When Jordan was little I had a hard time with the stares. I wasn’t used to it. I didn’t know if I should walk up to the adults and tell them what happened to Jordan. I felt I needed to explain her difference before anyone asked. When I allowed myself to let go of that concern and just live our life, I felt free, like a burden had been lifted from me. I wish I had let go of that sooner.
What do you want other parents of children with disabilities to know?
A limb difference is nowhere close to the end of the world. Our kids can do anything and it’s amazing what Jordan can do. It’s so important to reach out to other parents so we can support each other and our kids will have friends who understand. It’s awesome to be able to compare and contrast notes on how we’re helping our kids grow and live a wonderful life.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would love to continue to build a bigger community with parents of kids with limb differences. I welcome blog visitors at Born Just Right or new members to Sammy’s Friends.
Deborah can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Sunday and Wednesday, and can also be found at Pipecleaner Dreams.