Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for advocacy. At some point in life, we all need advocacy, and we all act as advocates for others.

I was at my breaking point. I'd had a horrible week at work. I'd had a rough week at home. I'd had sick kids. I'd had just enough sleep to make me want to cry. I'd been stuck over 10 times in my arms and hands with a needle. I'd been fighting a week-long migraine. I was anxiously awaiting lab results. It was a Friday morning, and I walked into Mom & Dad's house around 7:30 a.m. Obviously, Dominic had no inkling of an idea that Aunt Sarah was on the verge of a meltdown, but it only took him one glance at me for his intuition to lead his next very specific, very direct, very serious command, "Nan, pray for Aunt Sarah."

A little caught off-guard, Nan questioned, as if she didn't hear, "What?"

With no hesitation, he bluntly repeated himself, "Nan, pray for Aunt Sarah. Dear Heavenly Father."

He stood and waited. Nan looked at me and grinned. Everyone in the room (Dad, Grady, Maya, Gabriel, Dom, and me) bowed their heads and (partly) closed their eyes.

Mom then said, "Well, okay!" She began praying for me as Dominic watched intently. When he felt enough had been said, he closed with, "In Jesus' name, amen."

At that moment, my anxiety was washed away, and I was ready to take on a much dreaded day. Oh, and the lab results? Perfectly fine.

Guys, I know I am not the most articulate person. I know I can be redundant, and I know you probably wish I would come up with some new topics to discuss here. But, I can't. And, I won't. If you can't tell, Dominic is a pretty special little guy, and his Aunt Sarah takes her roles as his Godmother and advocate very, very seriously.

There are many unknowns about autism. But this is what we do know:
Dominic is the only child on the autism spectrum in his school.
The special education teacher has never had a student with autism.
The school district and cooperative education professionals have decided -- 7 months into the school year -- that the Valley Center program cannot adequately meet his needs or provide the education he deserves. After lost time, much heartache, and rivers of tears, the decision has been made for Dom to go back to the Maize program (where he was last year) immediately following the week of Spring Break. He will be placed in a stuctured learning environment.

New school. New teacher. New paras. New peers. New bus. New bus driver. New schedule. New pick-up time. New get-home time. Change after change after change after change...

Pray for Dominic.
Sam, pray for Dominic.
Jerry, pray for Dominic.
Katie, pray for Dominic.
Kari, pray for Dominic.
Gloria, pray for Dominic.
Ronda, pray for Dominic.
Carly, pray for Dominic.
Chris, pray for Dominic.
Amy, pray for Dominic.
Lita, pray for Dominic.
Gertie, pray for Dominic.
Shannon, pray for Dominic.
Linda, pray for Dominic.
Teresa, pray for Dominic.
Kim, pray for Dominic.
Polly, pray for Dominic.
Dan, pray for Dominic.
Lindsey, pray for Dominic.
You, reading this, pray for Dominic.

My heart yearns for Dom to receive services at Heartspring. We know that early intervention and education are the keys to success for individuals with autism. Dominic Alexander has so much potential. The musical talent. The sense of humor. The memory skills. An awesome little boy who may not understand how to communicate but who is totally in-tune with spirituality at 7-years-old. He loves Jesus. He preaches. He prays. He has an odd connection to pastors -- known and unknown.

So much time has been wasted, trying find a "placement" for him. Please, PLEASE help us as we continue to advocate for him until he receives proper care. We need all of you! Join us at the CARE Walk on April 14th. Sponsor Team Dominic. Let's cheer him on and let Steph know we are behind her, 100%!

For those who have already donated, THANK YOU. For those who haven't, go to
http://my.heartspring.org/campaigns/1168

Be thankful for something, today.

xoxo,
Sarah