A Night in the Life of Riley

It was another rough night for Riley.  I held him through most of the night.  John had the sheets going... again.  Think I'll skip the details today.  I am so grateful I don't do this alone.

Sharing this is about giving a glimpse into a special needs family.  As a mother to a typically developing child, I see the difference keenly.  Even when severely ill, a typically developing child is a dream to care for.  The special needs illness brings me nearly to desperation.  However, I remind myself how far we have come in improving Riley's health and abilities.  John and I spent five years taking turns holding him or being immediately beside him through every night of his life.  There will be more on this later:-)  We have come extraordinarily far and we can handle a night here and there.

Today I share a link to another blog, Enabled Kids, concerning a reminder on treatment:  "Any minor cerebral palsy can become severe if it is not treated properly through his lifetime, because it is important to adjust to the individual changes taking place with the child himself, along with his growth and development."

Pictured above, Donna Brooker and Ohm, give Riley a much needed massage therapy session.  Miss Donna generously shares her time and stops by anytime she's in the vicinity.  Riley needs constant hands on to maintain health and flexibility.  Touch is essential to everyone's well-being, especially for a child who has difficulty interpreting his environment.


Welcome Russia and Hong Kong... I encourage you to share how different your experience is to mine.

As always, your thoughts are welcome.   Stacie