Poem from SchizKidz Buddies, July 18, 2001

We are people who have never met, most of us do now know each other's last names,
or what we look like.
Perhaps if we saw each other in a mall, we would walk right past each other.

But, we know each other's hearts.
That is the important part.
We have laughed cried and prayed together.
We have exchanged phone numbers, and a few of us have been lucky enough to meet.

We are not just a group of people with babies with seizures, or learning disabilities, or a particular condition. Our children came to us with various 'extras'
Some have medical, physical or mental challenges.
Some have all of these challenges put together.
Collectively, we have more medical knowledge than most doctors.

But we are not about defeat, or about children born less than perfect.
We do not elicit pity.
What we are is simply parents.
Parents doing our best to raise our children in loving environments,
free from discrimination, or being looked upon constantly as 'different.'

Although we may be very different in some ways,
We are very much the same in most ways.
We celebrate that smallest of milestones,
rejoice in our children's tiniest accomplishments.
We have a deep understanding of the cycle of life;
we know how precious a single breath can be.
Our children have taught us not to take a single moment for granted.

We are wonderfully blessed to be parents of children who are very special in many, many ways.