Sometimes, All You Need Is Someone

 I’m sure we have all felt like this at one point or another. I mean, sometimes all your need is someone.

And that feeling was at its peak 8 years ago. We had started to look at rentals to move to a new area. We wanted to be closer to work, which would mean less travel time = less road rage.  Not me, I mean the husby.

 A major stumbling block though was Ethan’s childcare. How the hell were we going to find somewhere that would be sensitive to his needs, understanding of his Autism and could he really handle a change like that.

 I LOVE my children, everything about them. But the first 5 years old Ethan’s life was some of the most exhausting, emotional, { I have no idea what the fuck I was doing}, times of my life.

 This kid, as gorgeous as he was/is, screamed for up to 8 hours a day, had close to no verbal communication skills, spontaneous nose bleeds, head banging against walls, ubber sensitive to noise and touch and would spend hours obsessively spinning wheels of his toy trucks and trains upside down – just watching.

 Ethan’s Autism had a huge impact on our lives – how the hell were we going to add another obstacle to this with moving? Were we bloody mad?

 So came out my list of 30 plus daycare centres to contact about enrolling Ethan into a centre for care.

 Well if you thought that discrimination was dropping – I’m here to tell you no, nada, nup.

 EVERY call I made, was returned with “I’m sorry, but because your child has Autism, we cannot accept him”.  I pleaded for at least a visit to the centre with him, just so they could meet him – yeah na.

 I was in tears by this point, feeling completely hopeless, not knowing what to do {Rental had been approved and we were moving that week}.

 There was one last centre on my list.

 Some things are just meant to be. …

 Meet Ingrid. {oh and me!}

 

 

I must have sounded so deflated, desperate and completely emotional because Ingrid, my angel, said “bring him down for a visit, we have had plenty of kids through my centre with special needs, if we can handle it, it’s no problem”

 Ethan started communicating, since going to Ingrid’s centre. The care, attentiveness, no fuss, straight talking, love that we have experienced is nothing but extraordinary. This lady, one of the most beautiful people that I know – will always be part of our family.

 The world needs more Ingrid’s.

 Jack now goes to the same centre and I handed him over at 16 weeks to go back to full time work with no hesitation. And even though we moved away from the area and it is now a 35 min drive to drop him there - I do it , because  she really is the bees knees.

 We love you Ingrid!