This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Similac . All opinions are 100% mine.
There's an
unimaginable amount of strength to be found on the road less traveled. Those
unplanned paths that we find ourselves on in life, are oftentimes right where
we need to be.
Hi friends, how have you been? In honesty, I got up from my computer a few
times while trying to write this. Because the emotion that this topic evokes
was too much for me to process and put into words. I touched on some of the
health challenges that my toddler was having at the end of last year, but after
the final diagnosis came in January, I couldn't bring myself to share what was
going on here. I really didn't know if I would ever find the right time or the
right words. But here we are. So, where to begin? As a mom of four, I
worry, of course. Don't we all? I think it comes with the territory. Will my
kids be happy? Successful? Healthy? The list goes on and on. In all the worry,
my worst fear hands-down since embarking on motherhood was and remains, that
one of my children would encounter a problem, health or otherwise, that I
wouldn't be able to fix. That fear became a reality, this past January.
My three year old was born healthy. He breastfed for a full year without issue.
He hit every milestone, by the book. Everything was going well, until we
began to notice that he wasn't producing any speech sounds. He could only make
one singular "M” sound. We went back and forth with the pediatrician. We
waited for a time to see if it was simply a delay, and still nothing changed.
When it was apparent that there was no notable progress, I found a specialist.
Over a time span of about six months, he underwent a barrage of tests. We paid
visits to some of the best neurologists in our area, then in January, they
handed down the final diagnosis. I will never forget that moment.
"Mrs. Wilson, we don't believe that your son will ever be able to
speak. He has a very severe case of
Apraxia of Speech (a neurological motor planning disorder).” I sat in
shock as the doctor continued to speak. "I can't tell you that you'll ever
hear him say, I love you mom, or even singular words. I'm so sorry." She
then proceeded to hand me a packet of information and a list of resources in my
area, to arrange therapy for him. I picked up my sweet baby boy in my arms and
clutched him tightly as I weaved through the office, out of the building and
through the parking lot to our car. Once he was safely buckled into his car
seat, I sat in complete stillness and silence while my husband drove, for what
seemed like a lifetime. My thoughts raced as I tried to process what this would
mean for him. What would his future look like? Life is hard, as it is. How
would he navigate through life without the ability to communicate and express
himself freely? I felt completely paralyzed. How could I help him? How could I
make it all better? As a mom, I just wanted to make it all better for him.
Where would I find the strength to be his rock, when I felt like melting into a
puddle?
Read on for the full article.
