Exclusion isn't Just Another Word!

For so many of you the word exclusion doesn’t hold much weight. It is just a word. 

To me and so many others it is a word that instantly brings you to tears, anger, distrust, empathy, or all of the above. It is a word that we are battling every single day.

Exclusion: the act of shutting or keeping out :  the state of being shut or kept out

There are times when exclusion is intentional and then there are these times that creep up on you that are completely unintentional. And you are beside yourself. You are at a loss for words. Your feelings pour out of your eyes and drip off of your face until you see a puddle of emotions form on your desk. 

Today, this happened to Sophie. It wasn’t intentional but nonetheless, it left me broken. My heart is in pieces all because my daughter was at the mercy of someone else.

Sophie was supposed to go swimming with her class today. She was going to wear her adorable pink flamingo swimsuit with an orange beak coming off of her left shoulder. She was going to try out a new flotation device specifically designed for kids like Sophie who don’t know that they can’t just put their head in the water. She was going to make memories with her classmates and friends. She was going to laugh so hard today that she would feel it in her soul. Sophie was going to do all of this today until one of her teacher aids called in sick. Because of Sophie needing extra help with everything she does Sophie has to stay behind.

When I read this text this morning a flood of emotion hit me. I instantly started crying. Where was all of this coming from? I was mad at her teacher for talking me in to letting Sophie go for the past 3 days and then taking it all away from her. I was mad at the teachers aid for getting sick. But I still love her teacher! I was sad because Sophie was unintentionally being left out. I was heartbroken that Sophie can’t do things that other kids do because of how God made her.

Then the tears came. A lot of them. I couldn’t stop them. I know that it is in Sophie’s best interest for her safety to stay behind. I know that this is a decision they had to make and that it is the right decision. Just because it is right doesn’t make it any easier for me to swallow.

This is the first time that Sophie has been kept from doing things that other kids are doing. She has always been on the other field trips. She has always eaten the same snacks. She has always been on the same playground at school. Until today!

Today is different. Today will leave me wounded. Today is a reminder that this is just the beginning of so many things that Sophie won’t be able to do because she’s left at the mercy of someone else to help her. Today my heart needs a band-aid. Today is a reminder of what we are fighting so hard for.

I have been asked so many times why I am trying to raise the funds to build a Boundless Playground. This people. This right here is why. With everything that our children will be left out of, their right to play shouldn’t be one of them. We all want the same things for our children. We want them to be involved, wanted and included. We want them to have the opportunity to do the same things, make the same memories and live the same type of life. You wouldn't settle for anything less, why should we? We fight for inclusion because anything less is unacceptable. 

My tears are gone. My heart is still heavy. My love for Sophie’s teacher remains. My spirit is broken!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I was reading a blog post earlier this morning and while I was reading it this sentence jumped out at me..

"We know different is more than ok, it is wonderful!" 

I struggle with that a little bit because although different is wonderful, it is also hard and ugly and not so wonderful at times and I feel it should be acknowledged and talked about.

I get it! We all want to read and hear about how grand life is. How are children are our everything and how much everything they do is just wonderful! We want to share on social media, through blogs, at church, and in our women's monthly meetings that our children are excelling at everything they do. They are right on target with development, and everything is...better than ever!

Reality check:

We are a culture who seeks pleasure and avoids pain
We want instant gratification
We don't want to hear the hard stuff, the true stuff
We would rather be lied to than spoon fed the truth

My point is this....

Yes, Sophie is a huge blessing. Yes, I believe Sophie is changing the world, one heart at a time. Yes, I see the world differently when I look at it through her eyes. Yes, I know that she was perfectly made in the image of God and who she is, is exactly who He wanted her to be.

BUT...and this is a big BUT....

I also know that Sophie being different can be hard. It can be ugly at times. It takes work. It is an emotional roller coaster. It can be stressful. I worry way more than I thought I ever would. I can't just enjoy the moments because I have to think about all the "what ifs" or the "what will her future look like?"

I believe that these are the real, raw emotions that we need to talk about. We need to embrace. If we can't talk about the hard stuff, how can we fully embrace the good stuff? If we can't be honest and share openly about the struggles raising a child with different abilities than others, how we will ever form true, genuine, lasting relationships and support systems?

Melt downs will happen, some more frequently than others.
.
Hospital stays are always just lingering in the not so distant future.

Thunderstorms will continue to happen and during those times, you just might have to hold your son in your arms reassuring him that he is going to be alright, hoping he is trusting you!

Never-ending crying episodes and heart break will continue to occur because my daughter can't tell me what hurts.

I appreciate this mother's perspective. I agree that we have a choice on what we choose to see, but I truly believe we have to recognize the hard, embrace the ugly and celebrate the good! If we can do that, we can do anything!

Caroline's Cart: Coming to a Store Near You!

1106 Days

or

3 Years, 10 days

That is how long it has been since I sent my very first email to the manager at Adrian Meijer about Caroline's Cart! I remember sitting down and delicately putting the words together to formulate the perfect email. Coming up with the subject line was the hardest part. From all of my formal education and on the job training I knew that the subject line is what prompted an individual to open the email. It had to be specific, it had to be concise, it had to be special. It was a long email introducing Tamera, the manager, to Caroline's Cart and to Sophie. It outlined in detail the specifics of the cart, what it would mean to have it and how so many people would benefit from it.

Then I shared my daughter with them. My beautiful Sophie. How she is amazing, and different, and how she is changing the world.

What I got in return was an email saying, "We will look in to it."

Are you kidding me, did they not know how much time and effort and thought went in to that email? I felt defeated.

The days and months that followed were filled with more emails, phone calls, FB posts on Meijer's wall, and people telling me to go buy the cart myself and stop trying to get someone else to get it for me. Little did they know we tried that! It's called INSURANCE LIABILITY!

You know what I got in return, Silence!

It didn't stop there. I kept talking to everyone I came in contact with about Caroline's Cart until it landed me a new name to reach out to. Ben Negron was the new name. He is an Adrian native and the current store manager in Ann Arbor. I called and spoke with him and he was elated. He made me believe we were going to make this happen together. We exchanged several emails and phone calls over the span of about a year. Then all of a sudden....Silence!

Thankfully a friend of mine who never stopped believing with me asked questions. Through one of her friends she was able to obtain the name of the VP of Retail Operations at Meijer. Janet Emerson! Once again I found myself sitting down to write the most perfect email. I shared it will all of you after I sent it. Her assistant responded right away telling me Janet would respond to be in October.

October came and Janet called.

Janet and I had a long, real, honest and raw conversation. I asked the questions I needed answered. She wasn't expecting some of them but it didn't phase her. I scheduled a follow up call with her for April, when the "cart committee" would meet again.

December rolled around and I send an email to Janet congratulating her on an award Meijer received. I wanted her to know I was paying attention.  She emailed me back and let me know that she was retiring and gave me the name of the person to contact. UGH! Defeat started to creep back in until I regained my composure.

I am so pleased to be able to sit here tonight and tell you that I received a call from Stephanie at Meijer and they have signed a contract with Technibuilt and Caroline's Cart as of March 14th. The very first store on the list....Adrian, MI!

I sobbed on the phone with Stephanie. Literally sobbed! I couldn't thank her enough. She apologized to me that it has taken 3 years to make this happen.

Every single NO I received was made right in that moment. It wasn't about my timing, it was about God's timing in our lives. It wasn't going to happen because I wanted it to, it happened because He wanted it to and I was His vessel! I am so thankful He put the desire in my heart to make me go after this because He knew He would succeed!

On top of that, Jonesville MI Walmart will also have a Caroline's Cart within a few weeks. I just received an email today telling me it was ordered. I have been in contact with the Adrian, MI Walmart as well and the manager there is Amatha Davison. She told me she would look in to ordering it. Everyone in Adrian, call her and ask! All they have to do is order it, It is already approved in their system!

My challenge to you is:

-Call every single Walmart manager in your area and ask for Caroline's Cart to be ordered. And keep asking,
-NEVER quit fighting for what you believe in. EVER. Don't take NO for an answer because it just takes one YES and that yes is right there waiting for you. It might not line up with God's timing, but it will happen!

Thank you all for fighting this fight with me. For standing in faith with me. For your prayers.

And all of this right before Sophie's 5th birthday.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

I Don't Like Today!

Today was hard. Really hard.

Sophie had her appointment to pick up her new braces that go up the calf as well as her new medical helmet. Both are needed. Both are reminders of how hard life can be.

Since October Sophie has started having a new type of seizure. She is having, what we believe, are atonic seizures. She is shaking, going limp and falling over. Hence the reason for the helmet. Some days Sophie doesn't have any, some days Sophie has upwards of 15. We have been increasing medication and introducing Kolonopin as her rescue med. When they first started we were only giving the med to her once and it stopped them. Now, we have to give it to her twice and some times the seizures stop. These types of seizures only last for 5-10 seconds but can be very dangerous due to Sophie falling. We have done a 6 hour EEG and the doctors didn't catch anything the day we had it done.

Seizures suck! Everything else Sophie deals with i can fix or make better. Seizures I can't. I watch her like a hawk almost feeling like I can't take my eyes off of her. When she is in her walker it terrifies me even more. Fear has a hold my heart and the grip is strong!

That wasn't the hard part about today though. Sophie's new white braces with hot pink straps (good work daddy) did me in. But it wasn't until we went shoe shopping that it hit me. And it hit me hard.

Sophie and I stopped in at Tilton's in Tecumseh, That's the place to get shoes. Great customer service, good quality choices for shoes and reasonably prices. I was told today by her doctor that we would need to go up about 1 shoe size.

 Ha!! Let's try 4 sizes.

Add in Extra Wide Width

Any shoes come to mind? Nope, me neither! There were no shoes for Sophie. I never would have imagined that I couldn't go in to a shoe store and walk out with a pair of shoes for my child. I felt defeated. Sad. Angry.

When we found out we were having a girl I would day dream about clothes and shoe shopping, just like I used to do with my mom. She would have the cutest clothes, in all shades of pink, and even cuter shoes. They would sparkle, but not light up unless she asked for them. She would have the cute boots and flats that are all in fashion. And when I would find the perfect Christmas Dress she would have the PERFECT PAIR of dress shoes to match.

Today those dreams were shattered. Today left me heartbroken. Today, my dreams died again!

This seems to be a reoccurring factor in our lives.

So, what do you do? For me, I put Sophie is the van and cried all the way home. I cried for the lack of options we have and will continue to have. I cried for the constant reminder that my daughter is different. I cried for all of the things she won't be able to wear or do. I cried for her future, our future. I cried because I felt like a fool for crying!

I share this because its my heart. I am not asking for sympathy or pity. Please, don't pity us. I have a beautiful blessing I call Sophie but some days are just hard.

I don't have these days often and I am thankful for that. When they do come they are hard, and they are ugly and I become extremely vulnerable.

I don't like vulnerable.

I don't like today!

Dear Shane

My son shared with me yesterday morning about girls in his class, the Freshman class, that are taking photos of themselves and sharing them with their boyfriends. You all know what pictures I am speaking of. Shane and I talked about how it is NOT good at all, how if anyone sends anything to him whatsoever that we need to know immediately.

Because of the opening he gave me, Shane and I also had the opportunity to discuss how he needs to respect girls and how the girls need to respect themselves. I have heard Shane share multiple times how so many of the girls in his class are all about trying to be "sexy" and "hot" and how they want to be desired by the boys. Really? And the boys, oh the boys! Sex is always on their minds and their hormones are raging and they don't have anyone to guide them. Because it has always been ok for boys to be "players" and to "hook up" with as many girls as possible. These 14 year old kids are in for trouble and we, as PARENTS, have failed them!

As parents I truly feel we have taken a backseat to raising our children. We want society to do it. We want the schools to hand out condoms and have the sex talk with our children. We want the police officers to be feared and respected but the moment they execute their authority to our children we want to blame them! We want celebrity hook ups and break ups define relationship statuses. We want social media to be our source of information and the place we look to get parenting advice! Seriously parents, wake the hell up and start raising your children instead of being friends with them.

Because of the choices and decisions we have made, as parents, we are now seeing those come to light in the lives of our children. Our sons have anger issues and moms fear their sons will hit them because that's what they learned from their dads or moms boyfriends. Fathers are not around and mom is working two jobs just to make ends meet. Because of that our children are home alone, no supervision. Our daughters have self image issues because we let them read Cosmo and watch all these "Reality" tv shows where all these women are fake. They have daddy issues because dad is either not in the picture or they don't want to be involved because that's moms job. Dad...show your daughter how a woman should be treated. Start with your wife! They have no idea what real beauty is and how it comes from within because we as MOMS have failed them. 

Don't get me wrong, this isn't every family, but many. This might offend you, but then again, what doesn't offend people anymore?

What I want to say to my son that I always don't know how to say:

Dear Shane,

I love you. I love how your hair starts to get long and then starts to curl on the ends. I love your sense of humor and at times I don't find you funny! I love how you love your sister and how you would do anything to protect her. I love how you have a good heart and want to do good in this world, but I do understand that you are receiving so many mixed messages on how you are supposed to be as a young man. Please, if you don't listen to anything else I have ever said to you, listen to this.

I know you notice girls. I know you notice boobs. I'm not stupid and I am very observant. I know you are confused on what is going on with your body and the bodies of the girls around you. I know you will face temptation. I know you know how your dad and I feel about sex and how we want you to wait until marriage. We have talked with you many times and shared our reasoning why we want you to wait. I know you don't like that we make sure we know the parents of any of the kids you hang out with and that we expect the same of the people that want to hang out with you.

We know you want your independence but you aren't ready to have it all at once. You still make impulsive decisions and as your mom, and dad, we have to protect you and lead and guide you. We won't let girls in your room because there isn't anything up there but a bed and your clothes. We won't let you be behind closed doors with a girl either.

 We will let you invite her over to have dinner with us at the kitchen table. We will let you sit on the couch, with NO blankets, and watch a PG 13 movie. Lame, I know but remember, we are your parents, not your friends. Don't tell her you love her because you have no idea what true love means. You can like her a lot, I hope you do.

We will drive her home, you can come with us and walk her to her door and thank her and her parents for letting her hang out with you. No, you don't need to kiss her goodnight, but you can give her a hug! Then, when we drive home, I am going to ask you how your evening was. I am going to ask if you had a nice time. I expect you to answer because in this family we have conversations. I am sure you will be texting her as soon as you are home but that texting will end at 10.

When you turn 16 and have a license there will still be rules. You will have a curfew. You will want to have your official first date and I am going to cry. I hope you pick a girl that is smart, kind, funny and nice to other people. I hope you like her because of her personality and not because you think she's "hot". Pick a girl different than the ones you are disgusted at for sharing inappropriate pictures of themselves. Shane, I hope and pray, I pray for you often, that this girl will be worth it. On this first date I hope you don't expect her to be all sexy and made up. If you ever tell her she is sexy I am going to smack you and I hope she does too. I hope she's the kind of girl that doesn't want that either. I expect that you will open and close the doors for her, pay for the dinner and a movie with money you made from a job you have. I hope that you hold her hand and are proud to be with her. I hope that she gives you butterflies just by holding her hand. After dinner, splurge for dessert. It will be worth it.

When you are at the movies on the second part of your date and the lights are off I pray you don't try to get "fresh" with her. I pray you respect her. I pray you have boundaries you set for yourself before the date and that you keep those in place. And when you are in the car driving her home I pray those boundaries are still there. Shane, you will be tempted to do things you shouldn't be doing. Resist those! It will be ok to kiss her goodnight, but don't shove your tongue down her throat and keep your hands off her boobs and her butt! Jesus is always watching. Chances are, so are her and your parents!

Sex, the dreaded three letter word that changes your life forever. Please wait! Don't give yourself to a girl when you have the woman of your dreams waiting for your wedding night. I pray she is saving herself for you as well. Shane, sex is so personal and so special. There is a huge emotional attachment to it and please don't be the guy who takes it from a girl and disrespects her with it. Be the man that waits because there is NOTHING wrong with waiting, despite what other 15 year old boys are saying and doing. You might love this girl and think the way to show her is to have sex. Honey, there are other ways to show her this. We can talk about all the different kinds of ways. Yes, I hope we do lots of talking about girls and life.

When you get invited to a party with your friends I hope you are responsible. If alcohol and drug show up please come home. The seniors might tell you it is cool and fun. I promise you it isn't cool, or fun to puke your guts out. Believe it or not, worse things can happen than puking. If you do decide to drink please call me. I will be there. No questions asked.

Lastly, please know that no matter what you do in this life there are consequences. Good and bad. We all have choices and at times we are going to make the wrong ones. We learn from those mistakes, hopefully, but I pray you don't have to make them. Your father and I love you and always will. We are always here. Always.

Love,

Mom

Fight the Good Fight

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.


Recently, this verse has meant more to me than days before. What does fighting the good fight really mean anyway? Sometimes, I believe, it means that we are going to battle someone or something directly. Other times it might be a battle within ourselves that we fight. We either come out victorious or we come out wiser. Either way, we come out swinging! Then there is that small, still voice that is ever persistent. It reminds us daily that to do what's right, to do what is good, to do what is noble and true, that in and of itself is a battle that we must learn to conquer!

Some people are born fighters. For some, the world has turned them in to a fighter. Not necessarily the negative type either.

 I like to think of myself as a natural, partially because I was born a fighter and partially because the world has turned me in to one.  I can't remember a time in my life where I have just laid down and quit. I don't believe it is in my DNA.

I am thankful!

Yesterday "The Parents of Sophie Stegg" received a letter in the mail. It was from the Michigan Department of Community Health. My heart started to race a little.

It was a thick envelope.

But small in length.

It was from the MAIN office.

Could it be?

I honestly felt as if I were a Senior in high school all over again delaying the opening of THE envelope telling me if I was accepted or that they were sorry. Because the envelope was thick I figured it had to be good news. Then again, the State of Michigan spares no expense in the amount of paperwork they send you for absolutely everything.

As I was opening the envelope my breathing sped  up and my fingers were fumbling. I wanted so desperately for this to finally say "Congratulations! Sophie has been approved for the Children's Medical Waiver" !

But it didn't!

We have one more step and form to fill out before we can have a final acceptance for Sophie. This final piece is asking for Sophie's income and assets, which is nothing. We have prepared for this moment by putting everything that we need for Sophie (like life insurance) as a separate rider and only $5000 so it can't count against her. We have savings accounts set up, in my name, specifically for Sophie. But, it can't count against her because we have learned to fight the good fight!

I am thankful!

I can't tell you how many times I almost gave up! The first phone call that I made asking to start this process was over a year and a half ago. While on the phone with the Department of Community Mental Health I was advised that this was going to be a long process followed by the questions asking me if I was up for the process and if I really wanted to go through with it because it was taxing and long and hard! 

It was exhausting!

It was a lot of paperwork!

It was taxing!

They weren't lying!

Then, when we didn't hear anything for a year because we were "on the waiting list to apply", yes, exactly..."waiting list to apply" makes no sense to me either" Then we received a bill in the mail for $540 for the pre-screening they did to start this process! Next it was having to start the entire process over again because it had been over a year and Sophie needed to be re-scored to see if she still had a high enough score.  I was just ready yo say screw it. We will continue to pay for extra insurance for her, for her medical equipment, her medicine, he specialist and therapy visits. We are making it work as it was so I almost just said stop the process!

But I didn't!

 I fought the good fight, I am finishing the race and I have kept my faith that everything was going to work out just perfectly and as it should be. I knew in my heart that Sophie would eventually  be approved for the CWP.

If I would have called it quits just when things got hard then I would have given Sophie the biggest disservice possible. She can't fight for her needs, for her rights, but she has a mama that can! She has a daddy that can too, but he leaves this stuff to me!  Soph can't fight this fight for herself and she DEPENDS on me to do it for her. 

For that, I am blessed!

I encourage you today to fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith! Don't sit back and let life pass you by. If there is something out there that you want bad enough, go fight for it. Make it happen. God will bless our efforts and He is always there. He never promised us it would be easy, but He did promise us He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

All things are possible, you just have to go make it happen!

  

Born a Fighter

The pregnancy was going ok at first. Everything seemed normal. The food cravings, morning sickness, all of it was there. The desire to want to see your unborn child even crept its way in all too often.

Then the high blood pressure started. Feet started to swell. This was NOT part of the normal pregnancy thing all first time mothers were expecting. Preeclampsia/Toxemia wasn't supposed to happen to her!

911 called, Ambulance arrived and mom and unborn baby were taken to Hutzel Hospital with Dad on his way from work.

An emergency C-Section and a tiny 2lb baby born at just 26.5 weeks gestation! It's a boy! A tiny, helpless little baby boy who is struggling to breathe because his lungs haven't fully developed. The side of his little face was sunken in because he just wasn't ready!

He was too early. He was too small. He was so small he fit inside his daddy's baseball cap. Mom and Dad weren't ready. The baby shower hadn't happened yet. Nothing was ready for his arrival!

It was only September, he wasn't supposed to be here until late December/beginning of January.

Panic started to set in. Question of doubt worked their way in to the parents mind. "Would our baby survive?"

The next 3 months his daddy slept next to his incubator while going back and forth from work to the hospital. The oxygen flowed at 100%. The influx of doctors and nurses would make anyone's head spin.

As this new family of three prepared to go home they had to make arrangements for the oxygen tank and nasal canuulas to go with them. Family and friends were finally able to see this precious gift, this new born baby that was still so small.

His dark features took your breath away. His crooked pinkie linked him to his father forever.

Fast forward a few years and this same helpless little baby is now a six year old boy in the first grade. He is immature for his age. He is picked on for now having two moms that lived together in the same house. He was struggling with reading, writing and arithmetic.

Dad was able to see him every other weekend when the boys mom allowed it. Sadly, he was a pawn to her at times. Dad had contact with the school and he and the boys mom decided it was best to hold him back a year because we wasn't emotionally ready for the 2nd grade.

A year and a half later this boy tells his cousin that his mom has needles and pointed out her bag. this boy and the bag were taken to the police station where they were told they couldn't do anything because it wasn't found in his mom's possession.

Yes, that actually happened.

That same day the boys dad receives a phone call from the cousin, Rachel. Rachel tells him all about what has transpired. Immediately action is taken by dad.

A lawyer is hired. An immediate order of removal is made by the Lenawee judge to remove this boy from his home. He moves to Adrian in with his dad and step mom.

He is enrolled in school, supplies and clothing purchased.

One week later he was put back in the home because of a judge in Detroit that had an ego!

Skip ahead to a few months later and there is a court hearing. A "voluntary" urine sample was presented to the judge by the mom, and she passed! Mind you, this wasn't an ordered drug test, it was voluntary. I smell a rat!

Several court hearings later and this boy still lives with his mother and her girlfriend. Drugs are still being pumped in to her system.

How dare anyone accuse her? I mean, everyone wears turtle neck sweaters to court in the middle of July!

8 months later at the age of 8, this same little boy is crying at his mom's funeral. As she lay there in the casket he can't comprehend what has happened. He knows that is his mom has died, but he doesn't understand why or how. His grandmother tells him she had a bad heart and she went to sleep and never woke up.

Night terrors begin. Sleepless night. Waking up screaming and crying. It became his new normal.

The death certificate becomes available. Accidental Heroin Overdose as the cause of death.

Anger sets in. How could she be so selfish? And the judge...how did she NOT see what everyone else did?

Two months later this little boy experiences death again. This time is was the death of his unborn twin brothers. Death has become normal to him.

As the days and months passed by more and more was revealed as to how much he really knew about his moms habits and activities. As he shared with his parents what he saw, in detail, they couldn't help but cry and hold him tighter.

Counseling twice a month! What a difference it made.

"I think people are lying to me, do you know how my mom really died?" This question was asked to his step-mom and she didn't know how to answer him. She says yes, that she did know but she thought it was a question his dad should answer.

A 45 second warning to his father about what he was going to ask...then he asked his dad. His dad was honest with him and he showed him the death certificate. At the age of 9 he was so mature in some ways, and not at all in others.

Tears streamed down his face. He was sad. He was angry. He was hurt that his grandparents had been lying to him.

He called his grandparents out....and they continued to lie to him.

Today, this little boy is not so little. He is 14, going on 30. He stands tall at 5'5". He wears a size 9.5 shoe. He shows everyone who will let him his six pack.

He is athletic and he is good at it. He is smart, although his grades don't reflect it.

He is hyper at times. He is impulsive. He is sarcastic (it comes naturally to him).

He is tender. He is kind. He is the most loving big brother a little princess could ask for.

He is Shane and I couldn't be prouder of the young man he is becoming.

I share Shane's life with you because I want it to give you hope for the days that lie ahead. You may be struggling today thinking that you've screwed up or that life has been unfair.

The odds were stacked against Shane from day one! From the first breath he took he had to fight to become the young man he is today. He came out with fists flying and he has refused to give up.

Shane has a lot to be pissed off about, so much he could be angry about.

Instead, Shane chooses to be an energetic, loving, mischievous boy who loves others.

So thankful I get to be his mom!