So, here’s some news – we’ve created a really cool club just for mums raising children with special needs. This club we’ve created is all about you: a strong female, raising a kid or kids with special needs plus maybe another one, two or three that demand your attention regularly; a mum, but most importantly an individual, a fierce and incredible woman.
Sound familiar? As the wearer of many hats, you no doubt excel at filling in paperwork at the speed of light like a pro, run a full schedule of appointments better than any PA, manage daily (sometimes multi-daily) communications with your kid’s school, have a fear of answering any phone call that shows their school as the caller, and in response to the regular remarks of “I don’t know how you do it?” answer on auto-cue “Oh it’s nothing, it’s just what I do”.
You, my friend, are a superhero!
And I bet you rarely take time out to (corny I know) ‘smell the roses’, do something that’s just about you or really focus on looking after yourself?
It’s that old adage of ‘fit your own mask first before looking after others’.
As a special needs mum, we wear an invisible mask that we often hide behind. On the surface we are coping just fine, we can handle anything thrown our way, just watch us. But behind that mask it’s a different story; not always bad – there are some freaking amazing moments parenting kids with special needs, trust me I’ve had many and they go down as some of the best moments of my life. But there are also some pretty lonely times, hard times, times that test our inner strength to the ‘nth degree.
It takes the knowledge of someone who has walked the same path to truly understand the challenges any special needs mum faces.
Ten years ago, I was that parent hearing those words from the paediatrician that would make my blood run cold and change my life forever. Like so many other parents that have experienced the same moment, that day is still so vivid in my mind – learning of my daughter’s disability.
Because of this moment, I was forced into a “club” that I hated and didn’t want to belong to at the time. Little did I know that it would change my life’s journey and connect me with those that are now some of my closest and most trusted friends.
Raising a child with special needs is challenging, exhausting, frustrating but it also brought me some of the most memorable moments of my life; watching my daughter achieve what she was told she never would, reach new milestones and develop into one of the most endearing and loved young ladies within our community.
While my beautiful baby that made me a mother is now looking over me from above, I am forever grateful for the mum and person she made me be and the community of strength and support I have had (and continue to have) around me.
The ‘club’ that I initially despised has become my lifeline on more than one occasion, this ‘club’ has become my closest friends, colleagues, supporters and my network. The members are my club for life, regardless of circumstance.
And this, my friends, is how Source Mama came to be – the community that supports mums raising children with special needs.
At Source Mama, our role is simple – we build an authentic community of truly deserving mums. And I promise we’ll keep it real – from the content, the lived reality and the ‘always on’ feels (we know we’re always on, right!?).
Source Mama is here to unite, empower, inspire and become the largest pride of lionesses ever to have walked (or often in our case – crawled) across the earth!
I (and our amazing team) cannot wait to bring Source Mama to life and be with you on your journey, to be your lifeline, your club through life.
Love Emma x
Emma Price, CEO and Founder of Source Mama
