Welcome to my journey!
Keeping it real.
I am a very proud mother of 3, including a 18-year-old autistic son. His diagnosis at 2 has given me 16 years experience on how to survive the deepest and most debilitating depression, without losing your spark in the process.
The day that autism struck was the day that I died. Each day since then has been spent trying to recover from the grief and loss that an autistic diagnosis often brings. What has sustained me, however, is the joy of my son’s progress – each word, each smile, each full night’s sleep – these are the things that slowly brought me back to life.
Along the way, I have learned that in order to raise happy and successful children, I needed to take care of myself, and rediscover my passion – my spark. Giving myself permission was the hardest part, but I soon learned that doing so wasn’t selfish – in fact, it was selfless – because it brought my children’s mom out from the depths of depression, and back into the light once again.
Countless hours spent in doctor’s offices, endless appointments with Occupational and Speech Therapists, never-ending sessions with ABA professionals- all while wearing the highest heels possible, the tightest designer jeans I could find, and of course, red lipstick.
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Loving and raising children with a broken heart was at times unbearable, but eventually what I thought would kill me, brought me intense joy and pride, instead.
Looking in the mirror and seeing that autism did not defeat me after all means that the war is over.
And I have won.
This is my come back.
