Serendipitous Girl

  Can you imagine living your life being judged and discriminated against for the thing about you that makes you different and vulnerable? Thirty-five years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted. July is designated as Disability Pride Month. It's a time to educate the public while promoting inclusion and accessibility for individuals with disabilities. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with this topic, but two separate incidents this past year have taken up too much residency in my mind. One of them I wrote about in detail a few months ago. Now it is time to expel these lingering thoughts the best way I know how. You travel this journey long enough, and you develop a thick skin. However, that tough exterior doesn't stop the frustration when your child is consistently bullied or excluded because their abilities, or lack thereof, are not the norm. It's been our experience that many individuals who are eager to embrace diversity and inclusion don't want...

October 26, 2016 Homecoming, coupled with the change in weather, sent Jayde's POTS into a tailspin. No matter how sick she has felt, she has attempted to work on her writing and schoolwork almost every day. She spent the good part of her birthday violently ill, hugging a trash can for seven hours, with her resting heart rate hovering at 160 BPM. Watching all this unfold and the resistance from some of her teachers to recognize her ADA 504 plan prompted the following thoughts this morning.  Humans are creatures of habit. Most individuals do not welcome change with open arms. It is not a character flaw. It is simply the way we were created. Reflecting on the past several years, I see life has become a proverbial roller coaster, with peaks and valleys, unexpected twists and turns. We have mastered the art of riding the peaks and work hard to find the silver linings, especially when we are in the valleys. However, sometimes, the unexpected twists and turns can be challenging to navigat...

This post was written in the summer of 2016. It is the recognizable beginning of Jayde's Journey. Little did I know when I wrote it that POTS should have been the least of our worries, but each time I read it, so much makes sense. I was sitting in my kitchen, talking with two dear friends, and they encouraged me to share the recent journey our family has experienced. From this conversation, I knew I needed to share Jayde's journey. Thus, #jrsjourney grew wings. This post is a mother's/caregiver's view of what living with POTS is like. I once believed our journey began the first week of November 2009, when Jayde became ill with the Swine Flu, but the swine flu only made the invisible more visible. Jayde was two when she had her first migraine. When I was six, I encountered my first one. So, I knew how debilitating and horrible they were. At first, the thought that she could be experiencing a migraine at the age of two did not seem possible. Until she said, "Mommy, t...