Tara ~ Chloe's mom
I am a wife to an amazing husband and a mother to a beautiful daughter, Chloe, who has Cerebral Palsy. I may be the creator of the kidz blog, but play only a small role. It is my daughter, Chloe, who inspires me to keep going with it and all the incredible readers and kidz krew members who really give the blog life! I rarely go a day when someone doesn't share a quote or a story or a song that might be good to post on kidz. I am forever grateful for the friendships I have made through this network of incredible people who seek and give support. Thank you, thank you - to all of you! We're all in this together!
The kidz krew members participate regularly on this blog.
They are wonderful!
Here you can get to know them better through pictures, brief bios,
as well as links to their personal blogs and children's stories.
Amanda ~ Grace's mom
I am 23 and have been married to my husband for almost 4 years. I have my AA, and was 13 classes away from my BA in Liberal Studies as well as 3 classes away from a minor in Deaf Studies when I gave birth to Grace and found out there were issues. My plan had been to go to college and get my credentials to be an elementary teacher, but those plans were put on hold. I don’t mind though, I would give anything for my little one. My husband has 5 other children from his previous marriage, and that ended because his wife was struck head on in a car accident with a drunk driver. When I’m not researching about Grace, or working with her, I am learning about how to be self sufficient in case of an emergency, and love taking care of my family! Well, If you want to know anything else, go ahead and ask me!
April ~ Caleb's mom
I am the mother to 4 wiggly and wonderful boys. This means I am an expert worm digger, stain get-er out-er and tickler. We call our third son, Caleb, our "Wink from Heaven." Caleb has hydrocephalus, and his brain largely did not form. Doctors didn't expect him to live for more than a few weeks. Caleb is now 4 1/2 years old! He has a joyful spirit and is a little miracle in our family. Among his various physical challenges, Caleb is missing one of his eyes. Even though he will never be able to say "I love you" with words, he tells us every day with his "wink!" His little wink is a daily message of love from heaven. Although most hours in my day are spent taking care of my boys and their needs, I also love going to the library, putting on my fuzzy socks and curling up with my latest find in juvenile literature. I love Gerber daisies, chap stick and warm chocolate chip cookies. I enjoy music, being outside, having adventures (even if they are only in my imagination), laughing, and spending time with my family. My idea of the perfect day is being surrounded by the people I love. I get excited for BYU sports, and I get fluttery when I hear my husband come home from work. My favorite word is joy. My favorite smell is sunshine, and I believe in miracles.
Brandi ~ Matthew & Autumn's mom
I'm wife to Brandon and mother to Matthew and Autumn. Matthew and Autumn are gifts of adoption. Matthew had a tragic beginning to his life before he came to our home band needed lots of love, which we gladly gave him and continue to give him! He is currently 17-months-old, has a severe seizure disorder and is developmentally an infant. But labels have never been our "thing." We choose to see him for the beautiful, sweet, kind hearted boy who enjoys laughing while his sister cries. He will hold your hand and in doing so grab hold of your heart. Autumn was born addicted to drugs and had failure to thrive. She was a measly 3 lbs 4 oz at birth. She had suffered a stroke to her spine in utero that has left her paraplegic. She spent 6 months in NICU before joining our family. Autumn is cognitively intact and is blossoming. We never intended to adopt special needs children. All we knew was we were meant to be a mommy and a daddy. We now know that our children have taught us more than we ever knew possible.
Chrystal ~ Hunter's mom
I am a wife and mother of 2 wonderful children. Hunter is 5 years old and Cailtin is 2 1/2 years old. Before having kids, I was a middle school physical education/health teacher. I now am a stay at home mom. My son Hunter had problems at birth and was diagnosed with Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood at 8 months old. It is a rare disorder/disease where the cause and cure/treatment are unknown. Hunter has come a long way in his development. He is an absolute joy in our lives. Life with a special needs child isn't always easy, but the blessings that come from it are huge. Hunter has taught me so much more than I could have ever imagined. I take it one day at a time and really try to focus on the positives. Kidz has been a blessing in my life. I have met some great friends who I treasure. I look forward to meeting more of you in the special needs community. Like Tara says, "We are all in this together!"
Erin ~ Charlotte & Lily's mom
I am a wife, mom and registered nurse with four daughters. Charlotte was born with a rare chromosomal abnormality and many health and developmental problems, but lived with joy and purpose for 3 years and 8 months. She passed away in 2009 when her sister, Ella, was four months old. Ava joined the family through adoption in May 2010. Ava and Ella are healthy and typically developing. In October 2010 we welcomed Lily, who we knew would have the same chromosomal abnormalities as Charlotte. Lily filled our lives with joy for 3 1/2 months, but joined her sister Charlotte in heaven on February 6, 2011.
Janet ~ Hailey's grandma
I am grandmother to "Beautiful Hailey." Hailey is 3 years old and has Athetoid Cerebral Palsy. I started a blog as a way to keep my family informed about Hailey's progress. It has indirectly been a therapy for me to put my thoughts down. I had no idea how many friendships I would gain by writing on my blog. I have met so many other families through blogging who have family members with disabilities. It is a very special club!
Blog: Enjoying a Journey
(Read Jackson's story here)
I’m a mother to four fabulous children, one of which has special needs. My beautiful boy, Jackson, is now ten years old. Raising a child with a disability can be overwhelming at times. I love being part of kidz and have felt a strong sense of strength and support. It is nice to know there are other moms and dads out there who share our family’s frustrations, fears, hopes and joys. We celebrate each milestone and every acquired ability. And, we truly do know what it means to enjoy the journey.
Jeanette ~ Samantha's mom
During my short 30 years, I feel like I've been blessed with a lot of opportunities and experiences that have added to my life. I've traveled, taught high school, learned languages, played sports....but nothing adds more joy than being a wife and mother. I taught high school for a couple years, and I loved that! Loved that! But my joy is with my family. It tops my list of -- hands down. Both Samantha and Callie have been such a blessing in my life, I can't even begin to start in a short little intro. And to have Marcus as my wingman, well, it doesn't get much better. We entered the world of special needs when Samantha was born in June 2006. Half way through my pregnancy, her head circumference measured small. When she was 3 months old, she was diagnosed with Primary Autosommal Recessive Microcephaly. This type of microcephaly, we were told by our geneticist, is very rare, so no one can really tell us what to expect. We take the seizures and developmental delays one day at a time, (and I do take the time to write about it all on our blogs). Sure things aren't always easy, but I'm not sure how much sweeter life could be. So yeah, being a wife and mommy...I think I'll keep my day job.
Kristina ~ Emma's mom
Kristina is the mother of two charming daughters, Julia (4) and Emma (3), and wife to a wonderful man who puts up will all her wild ideas. A former marketing executive, she finds her days at home to be full of life and laughter even though they are busier than she ever imagined. Kristina started blogging to chronicle her family's journey that includes raising a child that has a profound hearing loss and cerebral palsy due to a congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) exposure. Since learning of the CMV diagnosis she has worked to raise awareness on preventing CMV exposure during pregnancy. Kristina graduated from the national Partners in Policymaking program in September 2010 and is an advocate for disability rights and inclusion education.
Melissa ~ Brody's mom
I am the wife of an amazing, hard-working man, and a mother to 4 wonderful children. My son, Brody, has a terminal heart condition called Left Ventricular Non Compaction, a form of Pediatric Cardiomyopathy. I never thought I would have a son with special needs. He is currently undergoing testing for developmental delays. Each day is an adventure.... some easy, some not so easy. But we look for the positives, and try to be involved in positive uplifting things such as this blog, in order to focus on the good. He has taught me so much, and I am indeed grateful that he is my son.
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If you are interested in being a member of the kidz krew, please email Tara (kidzorg.blogspot@gmail.com) for details.
