We are parents who were once children. Now, we want what is best for ours. We are those who have been bent, broken, banged up and hurt. We have stared into the face of adversity and come out on the other side whole because we were willing to learn and grow. Join us on this adventure to make the world a better place. A little bit about how we came to be...
I have disabilities. I didn't always. I h
ad two children before the incident that lead to my disability. I have very limited use of my hands and am unable to walk far distances. I realized that when most people look at me, they see a damaged human. I understand, I get in the way, I walk slower, I need help cutting food, and more. However, when I thought of myself as a parent, I realized the only difference between me and you is literally my lack of ability to complete tasks requiring hands and legs. What though did that have to do with being a parent? I have had caregivers for almost 10 years. In that time, I was lucky enough to have caregivers who also recognized me as a parent and helped me complete those tasks. Imagine living without being able to use your hands normally. Now, they refuse and there is nothing to fall back on. I'm sure you can imagine my confusion when there is literally someone in my home to help me be a whole person, and accomplish my personal activities of daily living, and they refuse to help with the most important: assisting me with the care of my children. There are no laws or services that help with this. Ultimately, the children lose! I started thinking and what I came to realize is that even before I was disabled, I questioned my ability to parent. I searched high and low for tools to be the best parent I could be and I know I fell short. A friend once told me, “no child escapes childhood unscathed.” If that is true, then aren’t we all damaged to some extent? I mean . The ideas of www.damagedparents.com and the Relatively Damaged podcast was born! There are a few different things I hope to accomplish with the information posted to the website:
1. Instill the idea that no matter our capacity we are all similar.
2. Effect changes in society where the disabled person is viewed as a contributor just as much as an able-bodied person.
3. Effect changes in laws so that those of us who struggle have access to the tools and supports we need to be successful personally and professionally. If you want to contribute fill out the form on our website at www.damagedparents.com
