By Naomi Holdt, Psychologist This past week I had a conversation about the holidays and Christmas with a teen patient. He told me that he had heard that the happiest people put their Christmas trees up early. I responded that putting a tree up almost brings hope- the end of a very long year is in sight. And then he added: “A Christmas tree is like a reminder to just hang in there. Look what’s waiting for you on the other side of the next few weeks…” Maybe we all need that right now- to help us get through the whirlwind …

Stories with soul: Source Mamas raising their kids with disabilities. The tears, the triumphs, the raw and the real.    How did you first become aware that there might be a concern about your child’s health or development? What were the early signs that led you to seek a diagnosis?  Indi was our first baby, so we didn’t really know what to expect. We got concerned around the time she was 1 years old, she wasn’t babbling or making gestures and around 18 months she wasn’t walking or talking. After seeing our MCHN at 18 months, we were referred to a paediatrician …

By Natasha D’Arcy Stories with soul: Source Mamas raising their kids with disabilities. The tears, the triumphs, the raw and the real.    How did you first become aware that there might be a concern about your child’s health or development? What were the early signs that led you to seek a diagnosis?  Miller’s pregnancy and birth were completely normal. Our first indication that something was ‘different’ about our little guy was when he referred on the newborn hearing screen. A few tests later revealed that he had moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.   At first, we thought that was all we were dealing …