by Michelle Goos
I am a mother who has disabilities and I have a 15 year old daughter who has disabilities too. I enjoy being a mom, watching my daughter grow up and see and learn new things and make mistakes too. It has been a long road of up and down. But we made this far and we keep going.
When I first found out I was going to me a mom I was very happy. I did what everyone does like try to eat healthy and get moving around. My partner, David, and I moved closer to my family in Surrey because at the time we did not know what kind help was out there for people with disabilities who were going to be parents.
My baby came in November. It was not fun at hospital, but she was healthy baby. I could not breastfeed so we had to use formula to feed her. Wow, that was not cheap! As time went on I think she was like most young children.
Then when we moved to Victoria. She started day care and the staff started to see things that I did not see. I took her to the doctor for some tests and found out she had some disabilities too. The daycare was great and they helped her out a lot. Then I signed her up for Kindergarten, and wow, the teacher at the time did not want my kid in her class. So I pulled her out and kept her in day care for another year. There was no one at the school to help me with things like that.
As time when on I put her in activities like Sparks and Brownies and swim lessons too. They were all good and fun for her, but most of the time I had to be near by just in case. And then when it came to Guides it was too hard for her. She was not at the same level as other kids her age. She enjoyed it but found things they where doing too hard and we had to stop that.
As she got older I had to find groups that were more to her level or had other kids with disabilities. By the time she was in grade 5 she got to go to Operation Track Shoes. She had a great time with other kids who were like her and she liked to win!
Then when she started grade 6 she had to use the city bus. She used it for a while and then other kids were talking her into doing things that weren’t ok. She started to not come home after school. The school helped me to get her on a special bus called Third Wave. Now the bus picks her up and drops her off at home and it’s safer.
Now she a teen and it’s hard time at times because of the hormones and because she has a disability.
Everyday we just try our best.
The last year was hard. She had something wrong with her eyes. I had to take her every 8 weeks for needles in her eyes.
I am trying to teach her to stand up for things, to be a self advocate. She’s been going to Easter Seals camp which has been great. She has self esteem when she comes back from camp. She also goes to Power To Be that teaches her she can do things. She gets together with her big sister every Sunday and they do things together and learn from each other.
I’m just not sure of her future and I don’t always know what to do. She’s a strong minded kid. We work together on helping her plan for her future.
I believe that anyone, with a disability or not, has the right to have baby. As long as you let your child grow up safe and healthy. Everyone has a right to watch their child grow and see joy through their eyes. To teach them and show them things and to help them to be the best they can be.
