Dear Alyssa

My beautiful niece Alyssa recently graduated from George Washington University with a BS in Public Health.

She is an inspiration to all of us, and because many family members comment on the undeniable resemblance to Alyssa and my daughter Olivia. I must tell you that not only do they look alike, but they both share the same independent spirit and I hope and pray that Olivia will one day follow in her footsteps. Alyssa has also inspired me as a special Mom, as she reminded me last week of a fellow student of hers that is a person with cerebral palsy that also graduated last week.

This post is in honor of Alyssa, and all that she represents…

Dear Alyssa,

When I think of you, I think of the word “pioneer”—and all that it means….one definition of pioneer is “the first one in any effort.”

Thank you for being a pioneer in our family. Thank you for setting the bar high for all of your little cousins and siblings to arise to. I am so grateful for the amazing pioneer spirit God has given you.

Your amazing work ethic, your brilliant mind, along with your beautiful heart that longs to serve those that have less than you makes you one of my heroes here on earth. Your passion and drive has come from your loving parents and family that surround you, and God gave you your independent drive and passion as He knit you in your mother’s womb.

For all that you are, I beam with pride. Not only do you have dreams, you are making them come true. And the thing about a true pioneer is that their dreams surpass their own needs and wants and desires---the dreams of a true pioneer have the needs, hopes, and dreams of others first….that is you.

The work that you have invested time and money in to benefit women and children in Rwanda is awesome…I am so thrilled that this week the women of that village will be able to put their arms around your neck and thank you personally.... I know that I know in my spirit, that you are an answer to their prayers that they have been praying for the past decade….they have been crying out to God for someone to help their children get medical care, and have a harvest for their children so they can have basic necessities that we all take for granted. The work that you and your fellow students through GlobeMed have done—are the answers to their desperate prayers.

Please take 5 minutes and watch this video of a song called “Pioneer” by Rick Pino. It sums up what you stand for:

http://youtu.be/LwZaz5AVoNY

I love you,

Aunt Maria (Re Ree)

To see the amazing work Alyssa and GlobeMed are doing in Rwanda click here:

Enable 50 Rwandan Mothers to Farm for Profit

For updates on their trip to Rwanda starting tomorrow, click here:

http://gwugrow2011.wordpress.com/about-2/ 

Visit www.GlobalGiving.org --a wonderful organization that Alyssa works for that enables anyone to give to any cause—including those that affect people with disabilities.

It Takes A Village

I’m sure you have heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

When you are speaking of a child with a disability, that saying couldn’t be truer. I believe it is so important that our special families set an example to all those that encounter our kids to stress the importance of what true equality means.

We all have strengths and weaknesses—none of us are the same, that’s the way God designed it. Typically developing or non-typically developing—we all have the same desires of our heart—to be loved and accepted for who we are.

Our kids are no different.

They still have the same desires other kids do, they just may not act or look like other kids. They want to have friends, they want to play on a playground, and they eventually want jobs and families of their own. Just because their abilities don’t fit it to the world’s view of what  “normal” is, they want whatever their normal looks like.

Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1989, sadly, prejudices that surround people with disabilities still exist. We as a society may not hear of these prejudices as much as other things that make people judge, but when someone has to come in contact with a person with different abilities, I feel their true colors come out.

I would like to think that we’ve come farther than we have as a society, but we have not.

Can you imagine what our world would look like if we were all truly on the same playing field? Can you imagine if all labels that have been put on kids and adults suddenly disappeared?

So many misconceptions continue to exist regarding people with physical disabilities—ones that are visible to the eye…as well as those that can’t be seen as easily to outsiders.

I don’t expect to change society’s views regarding people with disabilities in one little article, but I do know that if we all did our part—in every social setting we find ourselves in, we can change our part of the world little by little for our kids sake.

Because I feel we were chosen to parent our kids, I firmly believe that in addition to being our child’s caregiver and advocate, it is our responsibility to educate those around us that our kids want to live in a world without judgment and labels.

In our neighborhoods, schools, in the community and in our workplaces—we have opportunities to instill the hope of equality in every conversation and encounter—along with those professionals that our children see daily—the therapists, physicians, aides, etc…Even though they work in a field of disability, it is easy for them to get into auto-pilot work mode and not see each child as an individual. All of those that are part of our child’s team need reminders that each child they come in contact with have their own set of unique abilities, desires, and dreams. The people that are in our children’s lives on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis have great influence on our kids, and on the community’s views of children with disabilities.

Whether they are professionals in the field of servicing kids with disabilities, or they are your next door neighbor, my prayer for you this month is that you will recognize the opportunity when it presents itself to educate and inform those around you in a way that will impact their view of disabilities in general.

People need to be aware of the following truths about our kids:

Even if they can’t speak-they want to be heard.

Even if they can’t see-they have vision for their future.

Even if they can’t walk—they deserve the right to run this race called life.

Spread the joy and simple truths about our kids today…and one by one, we can alter our child’s “village”—forever.

~Maria