About three months ago some fellow medical mamas and I started a local support group. Our first meeting was small, but it was so incredibly wonderful to be surrounded by people who truly knew what each of us faces daily.

It was a time to vent and share stories. To use each other as resources, share tips, or talk through obstacles that we are facing. There was no judgment or feeling sorry for each other. While all of our children are not necessarily sharing similar struggles, it was clear we are all fighting hard to get them exactly what they need, and doing our very best to set them up for success.

Our second meeting was an even greater success. We gathered over twenty-five fierce ladies in a room together and put it all out on the table. It was amazing to sit back and watch all the knowledge that filled the room. What was more incredible was the way these women spoke of their children. There was no sadness or shame when talking about their disabilities and challenges. There was only pride. We had caretakers with children as young as three and others who have devoted a lifetime to their adult children. Everyone’s journey leading them down their own unique path.

Our third meeting brought fewer people but the message and goals were the same. We met new caretakers who were just beginning to navigate a new reality. We discussed dreams we all had for our children’s futures and acknowledged while this isn’t the life we would have chosen for them, it can still be such a beautiful one. So many of our children’s futures are unknown and that fear is a real one. One we live with every day. One we have no choice but to face head-on.

While this group is still in the beginning stages of becoming something magnificent, it has been wonderful gathering feedback on what other caretakers would like to see put in place to give them the support they, and their families, might need going forward. It is clear that we are a strong force and uniting can only result in greater things.

When I started my blog its original intention was to share our story. It turned into something far greater than I could have ever imagined. While it was scary putting it all out there, it gave my struggles a voice. It has connected me with people I would have otherwise never met and reconnected me with people who I had lost touch with. People who I can lean on and who can lean on me. Strangers who have become friends. It was because of my blog that this support group came to fruition and it has given so many people the courage and strength to share their stories. In my wildest dreams, I would have never imagined what it has become, or how it has changed me.

This group has been an additional blessing and I am very much looking forward to meeting and supporting all those who attend. I could never have taken on such a feat alone and I can’t thank all the women who have joined in to help, in particular the one mama who believed in me, and my voice, more than I ever could.

You can join our local support group at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/413612774194393/?ref=share_group_link

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