This content was created for Author of “The Dad’s Truth” and Sickle Cell Care Strategist, Patrice Sterling. She requested this content for her personal Instagram. As such, we decided it was best for her brand to use her own photos. Here I will only be sharing the written captions I crafted for her.
- Can you believe it? 7 million school-aged children in the U.S. are classified under the Special Education umbrella, and a staggering 13% is due to medical issues. While attending school, these students must also endure numerous appointments and hospital stays, maintain organized medical information and educational information accurately.It can be difficult to keep track of all this on top of everything else that life throws at us.
If you are one of those parents, I’m sure you understand what I am talking about.
Well, what if I told you that there was a way that you could help other parents and caregivers get their life back? Would you be interested?
And what if I told you that there is a solution out there that could help organize their life while encouraging them along the way?
Yes.
That’s right, it’s here!
And I am so happy to share it with all of you!
Click that link in my bio for more information. And send me a DM if you have any questions!
- If you are a parent or caregiver of a child with a chronic illness, then this is for you!What is the Caregiver’s Companion?
This comprehensive one-stop tool tracks general healthcare information, appointments, doctors, medication, medical finances and more.
It will help all parents and caregivers stay organized! It’s a handy companion that categorically maintains information for quick reference, including critical facts, clinical/in-patient information, ER, and school.
Purchase the Caregiver’s Companion and donate to students with special needs today. It is our goal to reach 1 million children and families who could benefit from this companion!
How does it work?
You can make your donation online at the link in my bio by purchasing the companion. We will then deliver your order to the school of your choosing in your name!
- Having a chronic illness impacts different areas of your child’s life – not just their health.Maybe they have to miss a lot of school because of their appointments.
Or, if they aren’t feeling well enough, it’s hard to join a sports team or go to after-school activities like their peers.
There are ways to support your child and let them have as much social time and school success as possible.
Equipped! The Caregiver’s Companion was made to help families balance life.
It is our goal to give a companion to 1 million students and families. You can help by sponsoring your local schools.
Click the link in my Bio to find out how!
- It might be shocking at first to hear the word “chronic.” It’s a hard word to digest.It sounds like “lifelong” or “always.”
It might be hard to imagine a time when your child will feel better or can manage their illness each day. Over time, you’ll probably find treatments that help. As your child adjusts to living with their illness or special health care needs, your family starts to settle into a new normal.
But even as you adjust, you’ll always live with uncertainty. Your child might have weeks of healthy, problem-free days and then have a flare-up for no clear reason. Some days you have to change plans at the last minute with siblings and friends. Or you might spend the day at the hospital with one child and come home to another child who needs your attention. If looking at everything that’s going on feels too stressful, it’s important to remember to take it one day at the time.
This is the reality that every parent or caregiver knows.
This is why I created Equipped! The Caregiver’s Companion. This all-in-one tool will help families stay organized and therefore relieve the stresses that come with those unexpected days of ups and downs.
Now, you can help by sponsoring your local schools. When you place your order online, we will then deliver your order to the school of your choosing in your name.
Let’s get this amazing tool in the hands of every child with chronic illnesses accross the nation!
- Having a child with a chronic illness has caused me to rely on and trust God in ways that I never thought I could. Through it all, my son has taught me the power of compassion and positivity and shown me the true meaning of bravery. And that is why I have dedicated my life to being an advocate for children and their families with chronic illnesses.Learning to rely on God in the midst of my son’s illness did not come easily for me at first. It is something that at times I still have to work on, even after 20 years.
These are the things that helped me:+ Accepting that I could not change the situation. My son’s health was something I could not control no matter how much I wanted to or tried. Understanding that worrying constantly or being in a state of near panic did not help the situation. This helped me to release that burden of worry over to God.
+ Reading His word. The Bible talks an awful lot about fear. Reading those verses helps me not only to relinquish that fear, but also to realize that for God to provide us with so many verses about it, He must understand how difficult fear is for us. “For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
+ Believing in the power of prayer. Over the past 20 years, I have leaned into prayer. I read books and listened to sermons and researched prayer. Then of course, I prayed. I asked others to pray. I continue to pray for my son and I pray for all others who have chronic illnesses.
+ Knowing that God is the ultimate healer. Read verses such as Psalm 103:1-3, Matthew 14:14 and Exodus 23:25-26.
Trust in Him.
- When you have a child with a chronic illness, it affects your child’s and your family’s life every single day.Will your child wake up feeling good? Or feeling sick?
Your child might feel like life isn’t fair when they aren’t well enough to do things their siblings or friends get to do. And keeping plans flexible can be hard on the whole family.
You’re not alone. There are many other families who are also living with a child who has a chronic illness.
Equipped! The Caregiver’s Companion was made for parents and caregivers who need a tool to help them navigate this journey.
Click that link in my bio for more information. And send me a DM if you have any questions!
- Children can teach us so much. Don’t you agree? What a joy it is to see the world through a child’s eyes.Finding wonder in the small things. Their genuine curiousity and imagination is incredible.
Becoming a parent changes us. Down to the very biochemical level, we are changed.
We talk all the time about child development, but parents develop too– in very real and transformative ways.
You learn patience, and you get to witness miracles that you otherwise would have been too busy to have noticed…You learn acceptance, you realize you have been wrong to judge, and you learn that there is a thing called unconditional love.
- Children with chronic illnesses will need to learn to manage their health care needs on their own at some point. It isn’t always easy to know when to let go. You might feel like a yo-yo, bouncing between a good day when your child wants to take care of things themselves and a bad day when they need your full care.Teaching them to take charge is a process. You can help by giving them choices early on – as many as they can manage. For example, a 5 year old might get to choose to get a shot at night while they are asleep. And a 16 year old might be ready to make all the decisions about their health care and treatments.
While creating Equipped! The Caregiver’s Companion, I thought about this deeply.
Equipped! The Caregiver’s Companion is a tool for parents and caregivers of children with chronic illnesses. Once the parent and caregiver learns how to use this tool, they can then teach their children to eventually do this for themselves as they grow older.
How amazing is that? This Companion can truly influence the lives of so many children and even as they grow older into adults.
Click the link in my Bio today! Go check it out!
You can get involved by donating these booklets to any school of your choosing.
We will take care of the shipping cost and immediately send it in your name!
- Do you struggle to locate medical information for your child’s doctors and therapists? Or find yourself answering the same questions again and again from caregivers or teachers? Your child might see many doctors, therapists, and other professionals over the years.Equipped! The Caregivers Companion is a care notebook which helps to keep medical records and other important things about your child’s care in one place.
Think of the Caregiver’s Companion as a 1-stop shop containing everything that family, doctors, therapists, and members of their school or care team would need to know about your child. It’s simple and easy to carry to doctors’ offices, day care or school, and other places you go with your child.
Why do families need the Caregiver’s Companion?
– This will help keep everything important organized and easy to find. When you’re away (or short on time), the Caregiver’s Companion will give caregivers the information needed to best take care of your child.
– If the child has an emergency, the notebook can help first responders know important medical information, such as whether they have a feeding tube, communication device, or other equipment.
Click that link in my bio for more information. And send me a DM if you have any questions!
- Parenting a child with a disability or special health care needs is rewarding, fills us with love, and can also take its toll. When we are constantly in the role of caregiver, it is easy to neglect ourselves.What works for one parent may not work for another. And, we all face different challenges with time, money, and how comfortable we feel being away from our children. But, the bottom line is that parenting a child with a disability or special health care needs is challenging, and taking care of ourselves is also important.
When caregivers are facing these challenges plus trying to juggle life, it can be very stressful.
And that is part of the reason why I created Equipped! The Caregiver’s Companion.
What is it? This tool helps parents and caregivers stay on top of:
– General healthcare information
– Appointments
– Doctors
– Medication
– Medical finances….
And more!This will help each parent and caregiver by staying organized. It categorically maintains information for quick reference, including critical facts, clinical/in-patient information, ER, and school.
It is our goal to give a companion to 1 million students and families.
You can help these families today by donating these booklets to your local school. You get to choose which school you want your donation to be sent to plus we cover the shipping cost.
And we will immediately send it in your name!
Click the link in my Bio to get started!