Special Needs Community gives Inspiration for Koala Thoughts

To launch this Koala Thoughts "Blog", it seemed appropriate to first salute the Special Needs Communities, and recognize the inspiration they give to the creation of Koala Thoughts. We hope that you'll take a moment to read "Our Story" page at http://www.koalathoughts.com/, where you'll get a more personal account of our family, our youngest son's diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and how the wonderful addition of Java (his Canine Companion) created the initial "ah-ha" moment for Koala Thoughts. What we hope to share together through this Blog is the events, stories, inspiration, and experiences we all live as we strive for Everyday...Extraordinary!

Koala Thoughts are created really as an extension of our emotions, and the feeling we share being part of such a wonderful "Special Needs" community. When our family attends annual conferences, or local events for Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (FSMA), Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), or Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) we enjoy the positive energy we receive from just being with other families going through life with similar challenges that we face. There's a camaraderie we get from sharing stories, comparing notes, venting at the system, crying over happy and sad events. However you enter the Special Needs community, you immediately feel it too. It's almost sad when we have to leave the comfort of others to return back to our lives in the real world.

Everyone and every family is going to have individual communities that are special to them. We'd like to share the ones that are particularily important in our lives, that support us, and which we support. They are our community... and we hope that you'll add comments and share the communities that are important to you.

Here's our list:

http://www.ryanhouse.org/
The mission of Ryan House is to provide essential care in a home-like setting where families of children with life-limiting conditions will come for respite and, as needed, end-of-life care.
This is a wonderful care-model that our family experienced while living in London, England when our youngest son was born and diagnosed. And we're thrilled to have rallied our local Arizona community as co-founders of this pioneering care-model for children with life-limiting conditions. We'll highlight some momentous happenings at Ryan House as it gets closer to opening early in 2010.

www.fsma.org
Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy is our hope and community for families like ours.

www.cci.org
Canine Companions for Independence joins best friends for life. Our son's yellow lab, Java, is bred and trained to be the ultimate love dog. This is such a wonderful program... hurry, if you can still get a 2009 calendar, you'll see our son and Java on the cover.

www.mda.org
Our son is one of Jerry's kids too. Muscular Dystrophy Association umbrellas the neuromuscular diseases, like Spinal Muscular Atrophy. MDA creates an amazing social calendar where we can connect locally with a larger group of new friends for chili cook-offs, Halloween and Christmas parties and more. Next week is MDA summer camp, where our son will go for the 3rd year and have another amazing time!

Again, thanks for visiting. We hope you join the conversation, and remember to live Everyday...Extraordinary!