My name is Kris Burbank and my journey as a caregiver began when I became the mother of a premature baby boy with cerebral palsy. Life has been filled with unique joys, rewards, challenges, and heartaches. As he grew into an adult, I had time to reflect on our journey, often overwhelmed by gratitude but also recognizing the hardships we faced. His medical challenges were scary, and not knowing what questions to ask health professionals made me question my abilities. But I learned that we are more patient than we know, that our feelings are not our children's feelings, and that support, community, and friendship are vital. Knowledge is indeed power, and teamwork requires trust. Stepping aside allowed others, including my son, to step up. Nobody knows everything, and our kids will surprise us if we just let them.
The challenges were numerous. Fatigue taught me to delegate and trust others. Compassion taught me to be kind to myself and express our needs clearly. Stigma taught me to accept people's discomfort with differences and work towards making them more comfortable. Disappointment taught me that experts don't have magic solutions, but we still need to partner with them. Government support taught me patience, persistence, and the importance of seeking information. Most importantly, I learned to live with ambiguity and find joy in small amounts.
If I could change one thing about my journey, it would be to learn these lessons earlier and share them with other parents just starting their journey. Hence, I am here, sharing my story, hoping to inspire and support others navigating their caregiving journeys.
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