Taking steps in my dating life as a special needs mom
When Austen, my 8-year-old with Dravet syndrome, was born, I’d been married for almost five years. My relationship was already rocky by then, but I was determined I wouldn’t let it fail. I’d…
Meagan Earley lives in Paris, Texas, with her three children, dogs, cats, and a turtle named Carl. She is a preschool teacher and a caregiver to her daughter, Austen, who was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome in 2016. Meagan has relied on her village of other Dravet syndrome caregivers in the years since Austen’s diagnosis, and writes her column in the hope of paying it forward to other parents who are fighting each day to help their child thrive in all circumstances.
None of my children are exactly alike, and I like it that way. Each has an individual, vibrant personality; while one might like theater, another favors video games. Siblings, whether they share the…
Read moreWhen Austen, my 8-year-old with Dravet syndrome, was born, I’d been married for almost five years. My relationship was already rocky by then, but I was determined I wouldn’t let it fail. I’d…
As I was driving recently, I noticed the leaves were starting to turn. Here in Texas, it’s because of the drought rather than seasonal changes. But it still reminded me that fall isn’t too…
Author Kellie Elmore has a great quote I find fitting for my family at the start of summer: “I love how summer just wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket.”…
When Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, was born, I had no idea that the disease existed, much less that it was embedded in my perfect baby’s DNA. Even when she began…
Last Monday, we skipped soccer practice for Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome. Soccer is a regular part of her routine. No one was sick, and the weather was nice. But…
I wrote in my last column about how I have to allow life with Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, to ebb and flow in keeping with her needs. This demand…
Jay-Z once said, “Don’t ever go with the flow. Be the flow.” And while I love Hov and his music as much as any self-respecting ’90s kid, that advice doesn’t always work…
Not long ago, I wrote a column about how Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, was doing in her new school. She’s gone through a lot of changes in the past…
Back in November, I wrote about my 7-year-old daughter’s great accomplishment. Austen, who lives with Dravet syndrome, had set a new seizure-free record that seemed to be holding strong. But as it…
When Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, was born, I didn’t have many things in her life planned out yet. I didn’t know what school she would go to, what sports I…
In August, Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, started a new school for the second time this year. When we moved to Texas from Colorado last winter, I put my children…
For most of her life until now, my 7-year-old daughter, Austen, who has Dravet syndrome, held the same record for the number of days she’d gone without a seizure. Dravet syndrome is characterized…
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