Brooklyn is TWO!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Girl!!!

Brooklyn,

I can not even begin to explain what an amazing little girl you are. God blessed me greatly when He picked me to be your momma. You have a smile that can melt my heart and a personality that makes me laugh.

You are SO strong willed. Your therapist call you a little "diva". You know what you want and you want it your way or no way. Your determination is paying off though.  You have worked so hard for each and every milestone. I watched your therapist tear up the other day as you pushed your walker down the hall. Before I know it you will be on the move constantly. 

Right now you can walk if someone holds both your hands. Most the time though you scoot on your bottom to get around the house.  I have to keep an eye on you now that you have learned to pull up on things and cruise along furniture. There have been a few instances of you playing with toilet paper, getting into the toilet, eating crayons. I won't complain though because that means you are doing normal typical toddler stuff!! 

You love your baby. The one with the headband is the only one you will take. You ask for her by name, "baby".  You can also say: Mommy, Daddy, Bubba, mil (milk), hi, bye, up, aye (outside), puppy, purple, boo (blue), yellwhoawhoa (yellow), boon (spoon), go and car. You sign: all done, more, cookie, eat, milk, bath, and please. You understand way more than what you can relay back to me, but we have made huge grounds. You being able to nod your head yes or no has helped me TONS!

You are finally sleeping through the night, well most of it. :) You are making it 5 hours straight with no feeds. We haven't used your g-button in almost 6 months. You LOVE to eat. You sign "eat" all the time. You are getting stronger with eating. Right now most of your calories still come from your formula but I think in the near future we can kiss that stuff goodbye!

I know I am missing so much. I want to write it all down to remember it. Most of all I want you to know how much I love you. 

Happy Birthday sweet girl,

Love,

Momma

Special needs

I have always had a heart for special needs kids.  I used to think I was supposed to become a special education teacher, but as I went through my education I pursued other interests.  Working with special needs children was on my heart way back then, I just didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. I went on to pursue a career in graphic design because I was good at it and enjoyed the work. After we found out that we were going to be the parents of a special needs child, it finally made sense.  I realized that God's plan for me was something that I never considered possible. He wanted me to be a mother to a very special little girl.  He wanted me to not only teach, but also love, raise and guide a special needs child of my own.

I know that God sent Brooklyn to this Earth to make a difference in the lives of others. I want her story and my testimony to be heard and to bring glory to God. Until now, I haven't known how or where to start.  I told my husband that I could feel God urging me to do something, but I still wasn't quite sure what that was.  I felt it in my heart that God wanted me to do something. But what?  For months I searched for the answer.  Finally, I realized what God was trying to reveal to me.

As a special needs parent, I have seen first hand the challenges that families encounter while raising a special needs child. Health insurance is important for all families, but for the family of a special needs child it is critical.  We have been blessed to have good insurance. It has helped us cover a good portion of Brooklyn's care. However, like many other middle class families, we do not qualify for any kind of assistance. We have fought many battles with insurance companies refusing to pay for therapy, procedures, formula, and medical supplies to name a few. For a special needs child, therapies are critical to learn essential skills that many people take for granted. Common skills like crawling, walking, talking, and eating are major milestones for our kids. There are so many milestones that I took for granted with Dylan because they came so naturally.  For Brooklyn, these same milestones represent major challenges and we work patiently every week with Brooklyn to achieve the next one.  Each milestone that Brooklyn achieves is a great achievement and we celebrate with her on her successes.

Brooklyn has a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and vision therapist. Our insurance covers 45 visits a year but that would only get us through a couple of months.  We have been denied nursing care because our insurance does not cover it and we do not qualify for government assistance. We also cannot afford the $1300 weekly rate for skilled nursing services.  On a single income, it's safe to say that's a cost we simply can't afford.  I feel the struggles, the medical bills, the frustration with the "system" and I know so many other families are going through these same issues.

About a year ago my husband's stepmom called me and said she wanted to host a benefit run to help with some of Brooklyn's medical expenses. I remember being close to tears as we talked on the phone. This is how Brooklyn's Bridge came about. The slogan for Brooklyn's Bridge is "Bridging the Gap for Special Needs kids."  My goal is to one day turn Brooklyn's Bridge into a non-profit foundation to help other special needs families. There are many hurdles to get to a non-profit status but I feel with time we can make it happen.

I would love for Brooklyn's Bridge to be able to assist a family in need. Even if it is something as small as covering a couple of therapy sessions or paying previous medical bills that are stacking up. I want Brooklyn's Bridge to show God's love to others.

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40