Monday, November 2, 2015

Difficult Decisions…

For many years I have felt a bit obsessed because my constant prayer has been for Parker’s healing…But I am not quite sure when that prayer shifted to: I just want what is best for him and for him to experience joy in his life.  It was probably a little more than a year ago.  I think it shifted when I tried to begin understanding what his precious life’s purpose may be. 

The struggles that this child has faced have been plenty and as a mom, each struggle is incredibly difficult to witness.  However, I will never give up on him; I will forever be his biggest cheerleader; and I will always stand beside him with pride and love.  I know some feel that we have made some wrong choices and by being public with our story, we have made ourselves vulnerable to judgement.  But what is right for him and our family is simply that, right for us.

The decisions made are carefully weighed given all of our circumstances and options.  Ultimately, we have to trust and have faith that we are on the right path for us at this point in time. 

So, in trying to decide what to do about school, we did indeed consider all our options.  For goodness sake, we have already tried hospital homebound, virtual school, traditional school, charter school, part-time school, and combinations of all these.  We know our legal rights; we know his IEP gives him the right to a least restrictive and appropriate free education; we know that we could continue to pursue…but what we also know is that Parker is fighting for his life and let me tell you…it is completely and utterly heart wrenching for us and totally exhausting for him.

We took much care in explaining to Parker all of his educational options.  What is most important to him is one, friendships and two, getting better/stronger.  We met with the school and they have agreed to allow Parker to continue to go to lunch with his friends at school, to attend events, and to volunteer.  He will also continue with one of the clubs he has been involved with and be a part of the community.  In addition, he is going to pursue his GED and then go to our community college.  This will allow him to focus on his medical needs and not have as much educational stress.

This decision wasn’t easy for him.  In addition to thinking about his education, he is also trying to deal with many medical decisions.  He will be getting his foot fused in about two weeks and once we over this first hurdle, then we will focus on the rest.  So, I ask that you simply pray and continue to shower our sweet son with love and we will continue to hope.

And to all who have reached out, we are so very grateful you are part of our lives.