Family sells everything they own: the costs of having a special-needs child
Interesting comments on yesterday's post. I realized, after reading what Torina wrote, that I neglected to talk about good changes I've experienced since having Max. That could be a whole other post, but let me just say that my level of patience has reached a new stratosphere, I have learned to appreciate little achievements in life rather than looking toward the big ones, and I have developed a deep appreciation of simple joys, like the grin on Max's face when he clomps around the house in his red Lightening McQueen boots.
So, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Georgia family in the clip above since I read about them on Terri's Special Children Blog. The Peters have one child with autism and another who has Still's Disease. They are auctioning off everything they own on ebay to raise money to help their kids.
My heart hurt for them.
Brittiny Peters gets teary-eyed at the end but all in all, they seem amazingly clear-minded, even calm, about what they're doing.
Can you even imagine?
There have been times, mainly when Max was young, when Dave and I had to pay for a lot of his therapies and our bank accounts dipped low. We did some things with Max, like hyperbaric oxygen treatment and craniosacral therapy, that our insurance company wouldn't pay for but we said, screw it, we're trying it. Sometimes, they refused to pay us back even for standard occupational, physical or speech therapies. I've had to fight them a lot. Some battles I've won, some I've lost. We're doing OK. Back when Max was first born, my parents told us that if we ever needed financial help, they'd step in. We haven't had to ask, but it was comforting to know we had that cushion, just in case.
Some Mom bloggers welcome contributions. Melanie supplements the cost of ABR therapy for her son by making these adorable, hand-sewn crowns. I got ones for Max and Sabrina, and they are adorable. Photo coming soon!
How have you guys handled the financial needs of your kids? Does your insurance company reimburse for therapies? Any battle stories to share?
