Moving Mountains...

In a few days, it will have been a year since Julianne got invited to Miriam School to see if it was a school appropriate for her, and I suppose to see if she was appropriate for them. That day was the beginning of what I term as Julianne's new beginning.

A few months prior to that, I went to their open house. It only took minutes to have a striking reaction that THIS was the place for her. Oh My God, I found what I had been searching for for years for my child. To actually get her to be able to go there, would be impossible.

But as the open house continued, and I saw all the children there getting what I had only imagined for my child...and listening to the people giving the tour say the things I had been yearning to hear for years from her educators, I cried. Yes, embarrassing, but I did.

ALL of the help she needed...would be able to be given to her in ONE location, with a TEAM of people...instead of getting help at school, going to extra help somewhere else, speech therapy at another place, and occupational therapy at yet one more location. And pretty much none of these places contacted the others to see what could be done to help...except for her wonderful speech therapist who tried. She even came out to her school to sit and observe and see how things could done differently....but unfortunately the school didn't really keep her updated like we had hoped.

Back to topic.... As I drove away from that open house, I had an epiphany. I wasn't sure how...but I was going to somehow "move mountains" to make this happen. I had to. But how?? This school is expensive. Really, really expensive. Things raced through my head on how we could make this work. Basically, a miracle would have to happen.

And that is exactly what happened.

and Team Julianne was formed.

That speech therapist I mentioned above, who cared enough to come observe her at school, on her own time in an effort to see how she could better help Julianne...has continued to be one of Julianne's biggest fans and supporters. Because she cared more than the usual person, Julianne has a chance at a future that has a shiny outlook.

So, here we are, a year later. It has been the best year ever for Julianne. It has been better than we could have ever imagined. The team of people that work with her are Amazing (with a capital A). They have learned so much about Julianne, and why things are the way they are for her...and in doing so, they learn how best to help her. All the people there love her, and are simply fantastic.

So, I thank the Team Julianne members...those I know, and those I don't know, for allowing my daughter the chance to live her life to her potential. And I thank Miriam School, and all who make that place a family, for being so wonderful.

And I thank God, for showing me that anything really is possible.. .