Our Zoo Trip Was 17 Months in the Making
This past week, we reached another milestone in the baby steps we are taking to return to our normal lives amid the pandemic. And the experience was amazing. Since we moved to Colorado in…
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.
It’s been one year since we lost Austen, my 9-year-old daughter who passed away due to complications of Dravet syndrome. One year without her kisses and her sweet voice asking if I need…
Read moreThis past week, we reached another milestone in the baby steps we are taking to return to our normal lives amid the pandemic. And the experience was amazing. Since we moved to Colorado in…
Another year brings another debate with myself: to home-school next year, or not to home-school next year? I started our home-schooling journey in 2013 when my oldest daughter, Addisen, was 5. I home-schooled her…
This past week our family suffered a tragic loss. Our rabbit, Susie Stew, whom we had adopted roughly 15 months earlier, passed away in her sleep. Between the time our neighbors had her (at…
I’m trying something new this summer: A slow, intentional way of life. I dream of mornings that aren’t rushed or chaotic, and evenings when I’m able to get the kids bathed and in bed…
Autism is a secondary diagnosis for my 6-year-old daughter, Austen. Her primary diagnosis is Dravet syndrome, which causes her to have intractable epilepsy, weak muscle tone, and many other symptoms. I’m not…
A few weeks ago, my daughter Austen turned 6 years old. It was an exciting day that she had been looking forward to for months.
Something crazy is happening this week. Somehow my daughter Austen, the baby who must have only been born yesterday, is turning 6 years old. I can’t let myself believe it, yet…
I was a lucky kid growing up, and I knew it. Some might have felt bad for me because my parents were divorced, as were their parents. But all…
If you ever meet my 5-year-old daughter, Austen, who has Dravet syndrome, there are two things you will come to know about her. First, she loves…
Last weekend, something happened that hasn’t happened since I became a parent over 13 years ago: I had an entire weekend to myself. There were no kids events…
Because I started home-schooling my kids late last July, we are quickly approaching the end of our school year. Throughout the year, I have been riddled with fear about my capability of…
From the outside looking in, the lives our family must seem chaotic. OK, our lives are chaotic. But isn’t that true for all parents with multiple children? The only things that make our…
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