A woman got married wanting to have a family of her own. Her and her husband tried for eleven years to conceive a child. They went to doctors, met with specialists, and prayed. This couple found out seven times during their eleven years that they were pregnant. Each time they thought their prayers had been answered it ended in heart break. Seven pregnancies ended in miscarriage. In April they found out they were pregnant for the eighth time. Month after month the baby stayed healthy. The woman fell down the stairs, was exposed to radiation and had many more close calls. Doctor's told the woman that she needed to abort her baby. The woman stayed strong and wanted to give her baby a fighting chance. Four days before Christmas this woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Doctor's were so amazed that they wrote stories about her in medical journals. There was no way that baby girl should have been healthy or alive. I am thankful and grateful that my parents decided not to abort me. This is my WHY.

We want to help families find their hope and answers when times may seem very dark. I was raised with parents that told me how special I was. As an adult I see the value in being different. . . being exceptional. I have stories in my childhood and adulthood that do not have happy endings or "feel good" moments. I have scars that are still visible from time to time. I am not perfect, but I am exceptional. I am an exception to the mold of what people think a person should be. To me. . . there is no normal. I had to pave my own path to find healing and growth. That is how I hope to help others. This is my WHY.

 

Situations, children, adults, trauma, disabilities, diagnoses . . . they are not all the same. They are not all black and white. There are times we have to look in the shades of grey to find our answers.

 

I am a mother to three exceptional children. Each one is so different, but one has definitely made me look in shades of grey: Selah, my three year old daughter. She is bold, beautiful, full of energy, loves to laugh, funny, kind, intelligent and so much more. She is also one in under 200,000 individuals in the world with Bosch Boonstra Schaaf Optic Atrophy Syndrome. I could tell you what this means, but that really is not the point. The point is . . . she is exceptional. She broke the mold of what I thought having children would be like. She has 21 diagnosed disabilities. I have been blessed with the most amazing providers and support for her. This is my WHY.

 

In 2007, I began my career with the Department of Social Services and my first case was a set of 2 year old twin boys. I had to pick them up from the hospital where they were being treated for multiple broken bones, cigarette burns, and internal bleeding. Their mother was also hospitalized for similar injuries. A former boyfriend of the mother broke into their home and assaulted them. The children were placed in a wonderful foster home with loving parents while their mother was healing. The twin boys healed well with the help of their foster parents. Their mother healed and found a safe environment to raise her beautiful boys because she had the support of several agencies and the willpower to succeed. The children were exceptional. Their mother was exceptional. Those foster parents were exceptional. This is my WHY.

 

                     

                     Robyn C. Smith, MEd, LPCA

                     Founder & Executive Director