Our Current Team

Our Current Team

In my last blog I touched on hiring and saying goodbye and what that process looks and feels like.

But the daily emotions of gratitude, acceptance, love, overwhelm (in a good way), fear, reality, maybe a bit of shame, little embarrassment, pride and excitement are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to watching people build relationships within my family, particularly with my son.

I have all these feelings but there is also a little piece of me that is holding on for dear life – when things are good, I don’t want it all to fall apart. The reality that change is coming is inevitable but, I can’t predict when and I know it will feel like our world is blowing up – that’s how it always feels. The daily weight of this is heavy but it is outweighed by the strings of great days, months and sometimes years we put together with our team.

Picking up from where I lift off in my last blog…

In the wake of losing some, we gained some – three new beauties! So our current team is our lifer Bonnie who is most definitely my rock. She is the one I call at midnight when I’m on the side of the road because I forgot to renew my license and she comes and saves the day by driving me home. She is also the first one I call when something comes up for William. I can trust her with any part of my life and somehow I never feel judged and only supported. My girls love her and snapchat her every day as I recently found out. I seriously can’t imagine my life without her. Bonnie is also an integral part of William’s homeschooling. She creates learning plans, assembles activities for the whole team to implement, researches different learning resources and supports the team to provide consistent access for William. Beyond all the ways she helps me, she has a bond with William that is very special. I know that she loves him and would do anything for him – like any mom would do for their own child.

We also have Lexi who has been with us since she graduated from high school. She’s now finishing up nursing school so we usually see her during holidays, breaks and the occasional shift she can help out with during her school semesters. Lexi is a bright light in William’s world and when she comes, we just pick up where we left off. William adores her and she has this calm, fun way about her that puts him at ease. We are so lucky that her mom reached out to me to see if I would consider a high school student to care for our boy. I’m so glad I said yes.

The first newbie is Alec. When I first met with Alec over the phone, he was professional and asked lots of really good questions. He wasn’t easy for me to read but he came for the meet and greet. Everything went well and as he was leaving, I was praying he would come back. The stars aligned, training went smoothly and William liked the guy vibe. It’s now been about a year having Alec on the team. He’s built a lovely relationship with William, never drops the ball, shows up when we are in a pinch, happily covers nights if we are away and has become someone I can absolutely count on to be there for William. He includes William in his family’s activities, often taking him for a family dinner or family walk. They go to art class together, build these detailed wooden puzzles and spend quiet time reading novels before bed time. And as a bonus … Alec and I share a love for exercise, nutrition and health. I might be overstating this but, I think we both love our conversations around what we are up to on that front. It’s a daily accountability for both of us and it’s fun to see who can hit their protein goals in a day. And William is always up for listening to a good chat.

The next newbie is Tom. We met Tom through Alec and as soon as I met him, I hoped he’d stay. Lucky us – he did! Tom has such a warm heart and has a masterful intuition when it comes to William. I think he might be the first one to tell me that he’d been talking to his wife about how frustrating it must be for William when his pants are bunched up the wrong way or he has an itch he can’t scratch or his sock feels weird inside his shoe. My heart melted a little bit because I knew that my little boy was being considered right down to the most detailed level of comfort – I can’t ask for anything more. And to top it off, they go to cooking class, build lego, lightly wrestle and have movie nights often inviting Tom’s wife who comes with their dog.

Last, but definitely not least, is our newest newbie, Wren. When I met Wren, I wasn’t sure she could hack William but I loved her presence and her gentle nature.  Wren quickly proved me wrong about her ability to deal William – quickly mastering the lifts, learning his eye gaze and consistently working with him on communication.  She is the best personal care assistant, making sure William is always lotioned up and smelling amazing – I love how much she cares about his personal hygiene and that area of comfort for him. Wren has been an absolutely amazing addition to our team. And when I see William look at her with adoration, I know it’s a perfect fit for him too.

Each of these amazing people hold a special space in our family but I think my family holds a special space in each of their worlds too. It’s not every day you find people who actually care beyond their paid shift, people who take the time to know the other staff, support one another, communicate well to deliver the best care for William and consider the nuances of how that all fits into the bigger picture of our life as a whole.

There is not much that makes me happier than to hear a celebration of William’s success that is filled with a genuine excitement for that success. These people all celebrate the little triumphs and the big ones – from a successful bathroom trip to using his eye gaze system to ask for an outing, they share the celebration with each other and with William.

Will has patience when he is with these people. His level of patience is a direct reflection of the care he is receiving – it’s his tell. I can hear it in the noises he makes and his body shows it clearly. The fact that he has patience with each of them tells me that he is reassured knowing he is in good hands – he trusts them.

They all see William for the beautiful little boy he is and they give themselves to our family daily.

It’s not easy to admit help is needed.

It’s not easy asking for help.

It’s not easy to live openly while others are sharing your space.

It’s not easy trusting people with the most important things in your life.

It’s not easy knowing that private family stuff is walking around outside the walls of your home.

It’s not easy to fall in love with people, knowing you will have to say goodbye.

It’s not easy watching your son bond with people, knowing he will have to say goodbye and may wonder where his buddy went.

It’s not easy relying on people.

But from experience, it’s worth it all – challenge accepted!

Our team is treasured – past and present. These people hold a place in our hearts (the deep, take your breath away part of my heart) that words just can’t describe.

I always hope they know how much I love and appreciate them.