Our back-to-school event is an opportunity for families to connect —with families like theirs, and with our staff who care for their children. And we were shown — as we often are — how children living with disabilities are capable of so much more than what is expected of them.
This year, we had a band from the School of Rock in Plymouth provide entertainment and they blew everyone away with their incredible talent and performance. Two of the kids who were enjoying a respite stay at Crescent came outside to take in the music and we learned that they both LOVE live music! One boy was waving his arms and bobbing his head in time to the music, and the other boy was moving in time with every song.
Throughout the evening, parents shared with us and with each other how doctors and experts had dampened their expectations for their kids. One family was told “He’ll never walk,” as we watched their child walking across the parking lot with a walker. One family shared their experience in advocating for funding for an adaptive bike for their son. The insurance company’s suggestion was, “maybe he just shouldn’t ride a bike.” This was the same child who instantly gravitated to the tricycles on our property and spent the entire evening riding one on the trail around our Home. “Look at him go,” his mom said, “Would you really deny him the opportunity to ride a bike?”
We were also grateful to have several bereaved families join us for this event, some as volunteers, providing school supplies to families or helping kids do a craft project, others as guests to enjoy the afternoon. They appreciated continuing to be invited to attend, even if it had been years since their family had been served. The community of parents who have lost a child is an exclusive and difficult community to belong to, and we are honored to be a part of each of their journey’s in living life after their child’s has ended.
The way the kids enjoyed the live music, engaged with the arts and craft activities, and connected with the therapy animals provided by the American Rescue Horse Network, showed all of us that kids with disabilities can lead truly full lives when given the opportunity to do so.
More photos from the back-to-school event will be available later, so check back for a link to the full album!