Raising any child is challenging. With special needs kids, the struggles may be greater, but Judy Winter -- our Community Outreach CEO -- would say that so are the rewards. This inspirational mom has turned her hardship and loss into a mission to improve the lives of special needs children everywhere.
By AOL Editor Dori Fern
Congratulations to you. You have certainly made community outreach your life's work.
Thank you. It's an incredible honor.
Tell me about Eric.
Before he was born, I think we had the typical American family life. We had a spoiled 6-year-old daughter. I was a writer working for a public TV station in corporate development. Then, Eric was born in 1990 with cerebral palsy.
How did your life change?
It changed everything about our lives, from our freedom to decide to do something spur of the moment, to trying to meet the medical needs while trying to meet his sibling's needs. It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but ultimately the most rewarding … but I didn’t know that early on.
It must have been a real emotional roller coaster.
Maybe it's just me, people talk about having a lot of anger and such, but I just thought "Well, this is going to be another life adventure." I never doubted my son’s value. That set the foundation for his entire life and mine.
What was it like, balancing your daughter's needs with Eric's?
I think the best way to describe it is to say: "It breaks your heart to see that it can't be simpler for the siblings." But they tend to become extraordinary human beings if you handle it well as a parent. Remember that they need parenting, too. Take one-on-one time with them -- they need to be allowed to express all their feelings without censorship. I think it's very important that they're not overused as caregivers.
We spent a lot of time making sure she was okay. They had a really marvelous, powerful relationship.
What's the difference, would you say, in raising a child with special needs versus any other child?
Thank you. It's an incredible honor.
Tell me about Eric.
Before he was born, I think we had the typical American family life. We had a spoiled 6-year-old daughter. I was a writer working for a public TV station in corporate development. Then, Eric was born in 1990 with cerebral palsy.
How did your life change?
It changed everything about our lives, from our freedom to decide to do something spur of the moment, to trying to meet the medical needs while trying to meet his sibling's needs. It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but ultimately the most rewarding … but I didn’t know that early on.
It must have been a real emotional roller coaster.
Maybe it's just me, people talk about having a lot of anger and such, but I just thought "Well, this is going to be another life adventure." I never doubted my son’s value. That set the foundation for his entire life and mine.
What was it like, balancing your daughter's needs with Eric's?
I think the best way to describe it is to say: "It breaks your heart to see that it can't be simpler for the siblings." But they tend to become extraordinary human beings if you handle it well as a parent. Remember that they need parenting, too. Take one-on-one time with them -- they need to be allowed to express all their feelings without censorship. I think it's very important that they're not overused as caregivers.
We spent a lot of time making sure she was okay. They had a really marvelous, powerful relationship.
What's the difference, would you say, in raising a child with special needs versus any other child?
