Hip Hip Hooray!!

Hip Hip Hooray!! This last two weeks has been full of ups and downs…as my chaotic life is prone to be…and today I am going to tell you about the uppiest up of it all. Jerilyn qualified for services through the state of Arizona.

“Services….What are services?” you say.

Well, services include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, habilitation (teaching life skills) and respite care. YES…respite care!! Oh and all of these services add up to about 90 hours a month!!

For those of you not in the special needs realm…respite care is basically babysitting or kid-sitting in Jerilyn’s case, which is not easy to find. I can’t just call up the local babysitter and expect them to be able to handle everything, especially on one of her off days. Our lives are going to be changing around here! I am so excited that I am sure I am overusing exclamation points….but it is a huge answered prayer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best part about it for me is an infusion of HOPE. Hope for Jerilyn’s future. Hope for our family’s future. I’ve known for a LONG time that I am incapable of being all that Jerilyn needs. The needs surpass me and often overwhelm me. I am so excited for Jerilyn because she will now have a team of people who actually know what they are doing and can help her. My hope for Jerilyn is that she will grow into a young woman who understands her challenges, sets boundaries for herself and succeeds in life.

It can only help Jerilyn to feel surrounded by more people who love and accept her for who she is today, and believe in her ability to learn and face tomorrow. The other great piece of news that goes with this is that services, as needed, will follow her into adulthood here.

Thank you God for moving us to Arizona. Unfortunately all states are not created equal in this area. None of these services were even made available in Florida. Please pray that we are able to line up the right therapists as quickly as possible for her. Thank you!!