For all the Special Needs mummies, daddies and carers that I know and totally rock:

1. Because they never thought that “doing it all” would mean doing this much. But they do it all, and then some.
2. Because they’ve discovered patience they never knew they had.
3. Because they are willing to do something 10 times, 1,000 times if that’s what it takes for their kids to learn something new.
4. Because they have heard doctors tell them the worst, and they refused to believe them.
5. Because they have bad days and breakdowns and bawl fests, then they pick themselves up and keep right on going.
6. Because they manage to get themselves together and out the door looking pretty damn good. Heck, they even make sweatpants look attractive.
7. Because they are strong. Who knew they could be this strong?
8. Because they aren’t just mums/dads, wives/husbands, cleaners, chauffeurs, cooks and women/men who work. They are also physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, nurses, researchers, coaches and cheerleaders.
9. Because they understand their kids better than anyone else does – even if they can’t talk or gesture or look them in the eye. They know. They just know.
10. Because just when it seems like things are going OK, they’re suddenly not, but they deal. They deal even when it seems like their heads or hearts might explode.
11. Because when they look at their kids they just see great kids. Not kids with cerebral palsy/autism/Down syndrome/ADHD/developmental delay/whatever ‘label’.
(Author unknown)