SO Thankful Tuesdays - WE Are the Voice

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

We recently had the Honor of being a voice for families affected by California's budget cuts in Special Education and Child Development Programs. For those who have followed us through our journey of parenting a preemie born 3 months early with medical challenges, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing the many incredible joys with us. And for those who'd love to learn more about our Miracle Mia can do so from the following posts:

Miracle of Life Story - How We Came To Be Believe Achieve Hugo and Roxanne

Miracle Mia's American Idol Story

Miracle Do Happen!

Prayers For Miracle Mia

A Poem for Miracle Mia - A Poem Written While Mia Recovered From Major Surgery

Our family was interviewed by local News station, ABC30, at Exceptional Parents Unlimited (EPU). This is where Miracle Mia receives Speech therapy, Occupational therapy and sees an Early Intervention Specialist. It's programs and centers, such as EPU, that give each child a healthy start. It's a special place where children with disabilities and their families can find support, services and gain a wealth of knowledge.

Our Miracle Mia was born with many medical challenges. Because of being "medically fragile," it delayed her from reaching developmental milestones such as sitting up, walking and even eating. If we didn't have the guidance of the teachers at EPU, it would have been more challenging for Hugo and I to help our daughter in the best way possible. We opted out on skilled nursing services, because we felt what Mia needed most was the unconditional loving care of her parents.

We soon transformed ourselves to being her around the clock nurses. But we still needed a resource to learn how to best help our Mia reach crucial developmental milestones. It was EPU and it's teachers who helped us along our journey to give Mia the healthy start she deserved.

We are ever so Thankful for all we have learned and Miracle Mia is living proof of how crucial programs such as EPU are for families with children of special needs. We find it a blessing to have been asked to be a face and an important voice for families who face losing these important resources.

What needs to be realized is: WE are more than just numbers and names on a piece a paper. WE are Families. WE are Parents. THEY are our Children. And WE are the people who devote every day in giving the best to them. Why make cuts on our Future?

We Believe the children ARE the future.

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

It would be a honor to have you view the short segment on the importance of early intervention services and to see our happy family during one of Mia's sessions. The segment aired last Sunday and ABC30's website has not yet been updated with recent video. But you can still view text highlights of the show and a cute picture of our Miracle Mia playing with friends at EPU. Click Here! We'll post any footage here as soon as possible! We've requested a copy of the special. :-)

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

Many Blessings....

Roxanne and Hugo

Believe Achieve



Further Reading:
Believe You Can Make a Difference - Exceptional Parents Unlimited