Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1905 and first celebrated in 1908. She wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started as a peace activist and to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world“.
To honor this Mother’s Day tradition, we want to share the stories of two incredible mothers who love their children with everything they have. Today we are highlighting Cheryl.
Imagine receiving a phone call at 28 weeks pregnant saying the ultrasound you just received shows your child has Spina bifada, water on the brain, a hole in his spine, and will never walk.
For Cheryl, a diagnosis such as this before the birth of her son Christian shaped her life as a mother like nothing else could and sent her down an entirely new path.
Cheryl contacted TARC more than ten years ago before Christian entered kindergarten. Christian was a non-verbal student and his mom was anxious about him starting school and what his future would hold.
Helping her navigate her emotions, Cheryl worked with Sherilyn Walton, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at TARC to secure an educational framework that has helped Christian develop into the young man he is today.
“Christian benefits from the decisions I make, but he also suffers if I make a wrong one,” said Cheryl. “If you would have told me in kindergarten this is where we would be, I don’t know that I would have believed you.”
Christian, now 19 years old, is a senior at Jenks High School and is transitioning into adulthood, a scary time for all parents. The skills his mom learned from TARC have taught Cheryl how to navigate and advocate for services for her son. After 24 surgeries, it is Christian’s confidence that gives Cheryl her greatest hope for his future.
“Will he go to tech school? Is he going to college? Is he going to work? Of course he is,” added Cheryl. “So, I’ll be graduating from Sherilyn to another person at TARC who handles transitioning into adulthood. Christian will have access to self-advocacy groups that teach him how to get on a bus, how to apply for a job and how to live to his fullest potential.
“I owe Sherilyn my life and my son’s life. I’m so grateful he has not only survived elementary and middle school but now we are in high school, and now I have an organization that I can trust with Christian’s adult life as well. He’s perfect. He is the best human on the planet!”
Cheryl’s words, “He is the best human on the planet”, perfectly show the never-ending love she has for her son. Cheryl actively advocates for Christian and loves him through the good and the not-so-good. The “not-so-good” just helps them grow as a family and as advocates.
Cheryl is the mother that every child should have. She is wonderful in her advocacy and support of her child. That is how every parent should be. Every child should feel as loved as Christian does. Thank you to all mothers out there!
If you have a story like Cheryl’s, share it with us and show everyone how spreading love can be life-changing.