Embedded Files
But my attitude began to change through high school, I decided I was no longer going to be a victim. I would begin standing up for myself and to begin demanding my rights to be observed. It was at this point that I vowed to myself that nobody I knew would suffer as I did.
But my attitude began to change through high school, I decided I was no longer going to be a victim. I would begin standing up for myself and to begin demanding my rights to be observed. It was at this point that I vowed to myself that nobody I knew would suffer as I did.
At home it was a whole other story, granted both my parents were loving. Yet my mom was manic bi polar, who did not know how to advocate for their child who had numerous learning
She recently had a massive epileptic seizure in her bathroom, hitting the back of her head on the claw-foot tub. Within the next few months, the benign peanut-sized tumor in her head was re-diagnosed as a baseball-sized malignant tumor, in addition to being diagnosed with rapidly degenerative multiple sclerosis. Over the next 18 months, I sat with her online, providing emotional support for her and her family. Watching her suffer from multiple strokes. At times, her family would fly her out from Georgia to me in between chemo sessions. I loved her dearly and would do anything for her, even though I was not adequately trained to provide respite care I did my absolute best for her every time.
Every journey begins with a dream. I have always had a fondness and special place in my heart for people who are like me. I am much like everyone in Kim’s place who has suffered both physical and mental childhood trauma.
Let’s go back to the beginning. I was the child who no one paid attention to unless they were actively bullying me, because I never really fit into any given group as I just in a way drifted through life. The most obvious reasons for the bullying were because I was in special ed and because of my surname. A few teachers at school ignored the bullying because they said “I made an easy target and should learn to fit in with other children”. This continued all the way through school for 12 straight years.
disabilities. There were days I would sit at the dinner table crying my eyes out, with them screaming at me to finish my homework. Frequently, I would beg my parents to stop the other children picking on me, telling them I would be better off dead. Eventually, I followed in my grandfather's footsteps and enlisted in the Navy. With the outlook of “things will get better”, as a way of escaping my mother. If it were not for the navy, I would never have met the love of my life, but being young kids, we were still struggling financially, and we continued to struggle financially for years. It was during this time that we were living in low-income housing.
Through an online support community that I met my dear friend Kimberly. Kimberly at the time I met her, was 24 years old, so very close to my age.
It was after this time that I swore to myself I would never do respite care ever again. Because I can not emotionally and physically handle it, due to having 3 back surgeries. Unless I could build the ultimate support team. And thus, began my next journey into learning how to advocate for our son, who was recently diagnosed with Autism. Which, in its own right, was an uphill battle. It was during this time that I began to meet other parents who were going through similar battles, who began to mentor and support me, which led to me doing the same for others. Eventually, on the fourth attempt at going to community college, I received my Associate's Degree in Children and Family Services. The job that this degree was designed for never came to fruition due to funding cuts. Instead of thinking I had wasted all this time in school, I changed my mindset to think of it as an investment in the future of others, of children like my son,, who couldn’t advocate for themselves.
My son, to this day, still struggles with his Autism and his independent living. But as he continues to tell me, he is an adult doing adult things.
It was during these late nights of thought and prayer that I went back to thinking about my dear friend Kimberly, and her unconditional love for others. She could light up a room with her smile. So I started asking myself “What would Kimberly do?” After thinking of watching her fight, and her unstoppable nature enduring brain cancer, it helped me refocus and the vision of Kim’s Place began forming. I would begin fighting for the people “in the grey”. I would be the voice these people need.
It was through me advocating that I created an online support community for others who have unique and individualised extra needs, by using a peer-to-peer support model. Whilst talking to these individuals online I began to hear a correlation within their needs. Including social/emotional isolation, in some cases physical abuse from caregivers, depression and anxiety and other mental health issues coupled with their physical needs. I began thinking of these individuals as people living “in the grey”. These individuals' needs were not being met in their current communities.
What can I do to fix this? How do I fight for people when no one around them cares?
This poem encompasses the vision I have for Kim’s place as well as the fire within me.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse