Today we take a trip across the pond to meet a very special Mom. Her positive outlook on life never fails to cheer me up! In fact, everytime I look at this picture of Amy and her Mom, I smile!
Tell me a little about yourself and your family.
I live on a farm in Northumberland. Amy and I have lived here for seven years. I met and fell in love with the farmer whilst holidaying in one of the farm cottages and I have never looked back. It is the most wonderful life.
Tell me more about your daughter’s disability. Did you know when she was born that she had a disability? If not, how did you feel when you discovered it?
I had no idea that Amy had autism until she was three years old. We first realized that there were issues when she was 2 and a half and attended a local private nursery. It was eighteen months later when we were finally told by the specialist that Amy is autistic. As soon as the diagnosis was confirmed we were able to get professional help with all matters concerned.
You blog a lot about your daughter’s issues, and that is so valuable to me and I’m sure, to others that read your blog. How did you go about making the decision to blog about her? What do you personally get out of blogging about her and her issues?
I blog about Amy because she is the most important aspect of my life and a subject I am therefore most interested in. She changes each day and I find everything about her fascinating. I think it is extremely important for other people, particularly those without children with special needs, to understand a little about a disability; I did not choose to live with it but it has now become my life. My daughter is my life and she deserves all the recognition I give her.
How has your daughter’s disability affected you as a person and as a mother? What did you do right? What do you wish you had done differently?
Amy’s autism had made me value life in a wonderful way. Life is such a precious and delicate gift and whether we have special needs or not we are all equal and deserve the same opportunities throughout our existence.
The only thing I did right was to acknowledge that my daughter has a disability. The rest just followed on. There is nothing I would have done differently. Nothing would have made a difference to Amy’s life or indeed my own. I am truly content and happy and I personally, cannot ask for more than that.
What do you want other parents fighting the same fight to know?
Never, ever give up.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Having a child with a disability is never going to be easy. But always remember that it will never fail to reward you.
Make sure to visit Crystal at her website, Crystal Jigsaw, and be sure to come back for next week’s interview with CJ’s lovely daughter, Amy!
Deborah can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Sunday and Wednesday, and can also be found at Pipecleaner Dreams.