The Daniel and Friends Fund has had an extremely busy couple of weeks. I had mentally drafted a post, sharing not just the details of what we've been getting up to but, more importantly, the significance of it. And how might taking part in a couple of charity walks and fundraisers be of significance? Well firstly, merely attending the most basic of events/occasions when you have a child/children with special needs, requires remarkably more planning than normal...whether you're arranging for someone to take care of your child and all the planning that goes with that or co-ordinating all the necessary preparations to have them join you. Secondly, the passion and unwavering determination to retain at least some remnants of a "normal" life despite, sometimes near impossible, challenges is more than just significant...it's pretty darn close to heroic. And where there are heroes, there has to be a unicorn or two, or any other whimsical creature of choice...
And then one of our moms and DFF Representative, Sonja, sort of took the words right out of my mouth by posting this :
"These people who we are so blessed to have fun with, is our support group......SUPPORT GROUP! For those who do not know what it is like to be part of such a group I'd like to kindly offer that you join whichever group you need to should you face a challenge in your life.....we do not get together to cry and be sad....yes, there are tears....yes, there are sad stories, heartbreaking journeys.....BUT we hug and listen and care AND rise above the challenges to reach out to other people who might be feeling alone, feeling that they cannot speak out for fear of being judged, discriminated against, frowned upon....we are there to laugh, to be silly, to learn and to plan and bring to life projects that will serve our community.
Should anyone out there keep their pain to themselves for fear of the unknown, I want to urge you to take that step and turn pain into a positive outcome. With this specific group alone we have experienced so much awesomeness.....been silly at a "race", learned how to apply CPR, enjoyed outings together, planned pageant participation, awareness creation campaigns, cupcake mornings and art sessions....the list does not end. They're also giving back to the community by collecting pre-loved teddy bears for kids who want to share a hug, uplifting and maintaining an equestrian centre and supporting and advising each other through doctor's appointments, operations, scans, birthdays, achievements.....
WE are not there to sit around and feel sorry about our challenges - we are there to show our kids you can still try your best at an amazing life, we are there to show the world it can be done! Gone are the days of these challenges being locked up......here's to an age where we can be proud, where we can conquer, where we can love and be loved..."
One of the most profound comments I have heard over the passed few years came from an Occupational Therapist whose practice is literally a couple of kilometres away from her home, which means that she socialises/shops within the same area as many of her patients, yet sadly shared one day that she very seldom runs into any of her patients at the local shopping mall or restaurant, etc. Why? Because many of those families are opting for the security of their home as opposed to possibly exposing themselves and their child/children to anything from inappropriate staring to full-blown discrimination.
Thankfully though there is a formidable group of women who are not only casting those safer options aside, but inspiring others to do the same...
WE are not there to sit around and feel sorry about our challenges - we are there to show our kids you can still try your best at an amazing life, we are there to show the world it can be done! Gone are the days of these challenges being locked up......here's to an age where we can be proud, where we can conquer, where we can love and be loved..."
One of the most profound comments I have heard over the passed few years came from an Occupational Therapist whose practice is literally a couple of kilometres away from her home, which means that she socialises/shops within the same area as many of her patients, yet sadly shared one day that she very seldom runs into any of her patients at the local shopping mall or restaurant, etc. Why? Because many of those families are opting for the security of their home as opposed to possibly exposing themselves and their child/children to anything from inappropriate staring to full-blown discrimination.
Thankfully though there is a formidable group of women who are not only casting those safer options aside, but inspiring others to do the same...
Who knew unicorns travelled in packs!
Ready to take on the Totalsports Ladies Race Stellenbosch
in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness :
Patricia/Chantelle/Meg/Nicky/Sam/Lizel/Justine
Kate/Lianie/Anastacia (in front)
Lizel, Patricia and Chantelle grabbing a photo op
with Andriette Norman
Sienna and Keenan enjoying the festivities
Not a single photo-propped opportunity went missed
Nicky/Lianie/Kate
Nothing like some wet foam to awaken those muscles
on a cold, Winter's morning
Strolling down the home stretch
Little Sienna catching a ride with two beautiful unicorns
And before we knew it, we had chatted and photographed
our way through the five kilometres. What a glorious
morning it was.
The Friday just before the TLR we celebrated Slipper Day with a little get together, for those moms who could make it :
Slipper Day is a Reach for a Dream initiative,
a non-profit organisation which dedicates their
time and efforts to helping children with life-
threatening conditions, realise their dreams.
An interesting assortment of slippers were on show
Supermom Tamara blew us all away by coming along with all
four of her kiddo's...on her own!
Delish sarmies and a couple of cappuccinos later...
Group Pic
In the space of merely a few months, families dealing with special needs have definitely become more visible in the community...the hope that observation represents is overwhelming. Our moms are becoming more motivated, more assertive and more innovative in leading the way towards bridging the gap between our special needs community and the rest of society.
To this end, another one of our moms, Barbara Brooks, co-ordinated an awareness campaign called Kindness is Cool which launched it's first public event on Saturday, 15th August at St Faith's Church in Plumstead. The vision behind the campaign is to not only help raise awareness for the very many challenges families affected by special needs have to overcome, but also to encourage society to adopt the mindset that being KIND to people who have special needs is actually COOL.
Barbara sharing with us the inspiration
behind her vision for the Kindness is Cool
Campaign - her daughter, Abigail
No comments:
Post a Comment