I am so mad at that Molly Hincka Special Olympics commercial. Of course, bravo to her that she has accomplished so much. But how about the rest of us special parents who, despite all of our efforts and belief, do not have children who defy their diagnosis.
Maybe we just aren't the parents Mrs. Hincka is, maybe we just don't believe enough. That's the message I'm getting. I think Proctor and Gamble is sensationalizing something rare and miraculous--like running despite all odds. I guess the rest of us who have special kids just didn't believe as hard as Mrs. Hincka did.
Well, fuck you Proctor & Gamble. It's a fucking insensitive commercial. It implies that if your child doesn't defeat the odds, then you don't believe in them enough.
I'm sick of that shit, that miracle bullshit. Miracles are rare. Most of us are struggling through this and I'm tired of having my faith questioned because my child hasn't been healed miraculously. Where are all the articles on the parents who tried everything and still struggle with reaching their kids? Where are all the articles on how the parents cope on a day-to-day basis who have special needs kids living at home? We are not special ed teachers or therapists, we are not trained in this. Those type of resources need to be out there in as much abundance as all these snake-oil propaganda.
Because what do we do special parents? When our child gets diagnosed? We live in denial, we refuse to say the words autistic or retarded. We secretively use google only to discover these conditions can be cured miraculously solely by the mother's belief. That's all it takes. Why is it so fucking hard to find articles on how to apply ABA therapy at home and what ABA therapy is in layman's terms. We need real solutions on how to deal with our stress and help our child live productively, not sold on a parade of exceptions who defied the odds.
I'm a parent of a special needs child too but you are missing the point here which is understandable!! The point is not that if you try hard enough and believe your child will overcome all predicted diagnosis outcomes.......but is is that your child will in most cases do more then anyone thought they could do! If I let my daughter sit and don't work with her and get her the services she needs she would not be sitting on her own today, eating table food, etc etc etc. Maybe Aubrie will not ever walk but If I have a physical therapist work with her every single day and I also work with her she has a 1000% better chance of accomplishing this then not. And maybe she will not ever walk on her own but maybe because of all of the therapy she will walk in a walker or crawl everywhere she needs to go instead of to just a specific toy at the age of 3.
ReplyDeleteOur special children are capable of accomplishing much more then what doctors say. They are not aloud to say to much because parents will take them to court if they give you hope and the hope never comes. Human brains are amazing and with the right therapy and repetition a lot of conditions will achieve a lot more then if you didn't do anything or just did "enough".
All of this to say that this was an amazing ad! And even though some of our children will not ever be like Molly. It is the concept that is "fact" not the specifics of Molly's story. Every child is different and so progress and overcoming means completely different things for different conditions. For Molly it was running but for my Aubrie it might be feeding herself a cracker instead of mommy doing it! I'm going to believe and push for running but I may not get running.........and that is okay!! Because I'm pushing for running Aubrie will achieve far more then if I was only doing what the medical field recommends!
You are an amazing parent! Anyone with a special needs child amazes me because your impact on your child and all that work with him/her is HUGE! You have no idea how many lives you and your child have touched over the years.......you will not ever know but I'm sure some have told you so and you can believe that there are many more that will never tell you!
Miricals do happen! And sometimes they happen in the hurt and the pain, in the struggle and in the things that don't seem like a miracle. Think of all that you as a person have learned from your child........some of that is a mirical all in its own wouldn't you say? God has changed my life through Aubrie and I have to say that some of the things I have learned through this little girl would not have ever been learned if not for her in my life! Sometimes the blessings fall in the biggest raindrops!!
I think you may be a plant from P&G...
ReplyDelete