Learning to go with the flow of my daughter’s needs
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…
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.
Back-to-school season is usually filled with wonder and excitement. New clothes, new books, and even the smell of new pencils make me blissfully happy. As a teacher, going back to school with my…
Read moreJay-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…
I just finished my first month as an official first-year teacher. There have been quite a few tears and even more smiles, along with hugs and meltdowns — by both my students and myself.
Our family’s summer came to an end last week when Austen, my 7-year-old daughter with Dravet syndrome, and her siblings returned to school. It was a great summer, filled with swimming, exploring, and…
It’s been a long time since I’ve written — too long. But I have some amazing news to share. When Austen, my 7-year-old with Dravet syndrome, started having seizures, it put us on…
Later today, after writing this column, I will leave for a five-day vacation without my kids. My mom and dad will be taking care of my three children, including my youngest daughter, Austen,…
“Mom, where is my friend? You know, the one who looks like my twin?” We were at the baseball practice of my 8-year-old son, Atlas, and my daughter Austen, who is 6 and has…
When my 6-year-old daughter, Austen, was born, she seemed completely “normal” for the first five months of her life. She was born without complications and hit her developmental milestones according to a normal schedule.
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