Outskirts Press, INC.

What is it like to parent a child with special needs?

This book’s main purpose is two-fold; firstly, it is to give a glimpse into the lives of families who raise children with special needs — particularly, educators, medical professionals, case workers, law makers, and care providers. Secondly, it is to reach out to other families who have had similar experiences as I have, in order to give them hope, and validate their emotions as they travel on a similar journey.

This book started out as a single poem called “Congratulations” that I wrote following Heidi’s birth. Those first few months of Heidi’s life were so painful and scary, and that poem captured my feelings at the time, and gave me strength. I shared that poem with other parents who have children with special needs, and it meant so much to them. I tried to touch upon the most emotion-provoking subjects as I was writing this book, as I have a true passion for how my daughter “raised” me. I am forever grateful for the multitude of lessons that Heidi has taught me; the world is a better place with her in it, and I am a better human being because of her.