peachykeen
bootie shaker
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2002
- Posts
- 9,194
OK, let me get the icky bullshit out of the way first:
For three months now I have been in the US because my mom was diagnosed with breast and theyroid cancer and has been going through chemo and radiation. I cam here to help her out and primarily to assume temporary custody of my nephew, over whom she has guardianship. He is 9 and has a condidtion called Asperger's Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of autism.
I've been living with and caring for him for the summer, and part of my job while I was here was to try to find a more permanent solution to his long-term care. He can't go back to living with my mom while she is ill, and so I have been searching desperately for a foster home for him. (I can't legally take him back to England with me.) We are desperate not to have him moved from the area and the state has no available homes in this county. Because of the natur of his condition, any change is rather traumatic for him. We want him to be able to at least stay in the same school, as they have known him for years and the relationships he has with his teachers there would take ages to recreate elsewhere, if it could be done at all.
I have a plane ticket to go back Sept 15. For the past couple of weeks as that deadline approaches I have been panicking, as I do not know what will become of him then. I cry so much some days worrying about him and my mom I am amazed sometimes that I have tears left.
Today I got a call from a man who is the pastor at a local Baptist church. He heard about our situation through the grapevine and wanted to know more information. Turns out he and his wife have just sent their youngest son off to college and, as they are still young, have been talking about the idea of taking in a foster child, especially one with special needs. We talked for a long time and we are going to meet for coffee in the next few days to talk about what the next step might be. It's not a done deal, but I can't tell you the huge huge weight that has lifted off my heart. I am hopeful for the first time in a long time. I was terrified.
Also, my mom got a call from the oncologist to tell her her last series of tests is NNED, which means no new evidence of disease - in other words, the cancer has not spread.
Whew. I'm crying again. But this time not because I'm sad!
For three months now I have been in the US because my mom was diagnosed with breast and theyroid cancer and has been going through chemo and radiation. I cam here to help her out and primarily to assume temporary custody of my nephew, over whom she has guardianship. He is 9 and has a condidtion called Asperger's Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of autism.
I've been living with and caring for him for the summer, and part of my job while I was here was to try to find a more permanent solution to his long-term care. He can't go back to living with my mom while she is ill, and so I have been searching desperately for a foster home for him. (I can't legally take him back to England with me.) We are desperate not to have him moved from the area and the state has no available homes in this county. Because of the natur of his condition, any change is rather traumatic for him. We want him to be able to at least stay in the same school, as they have known him for years and the relationships he has with his teachers there would take ages to recreate elsewhere, if it could be done at all.
I have a plane ticket to go back Sept 15. For the past couple of weeks as that deadline approaches I have been panicking, as I do not know what will become of him then. I cry so much some days worrying about him and my mom I am amazed sometimes that I have tears left.
Today I got a call from a man who is the pastor at a local Baptist church. He heard about our situation through the grapevine and wanted to know more information. Turns out he and his wife have just sent their youngest son off to college and, as they are still young, have been talking about the idea of taking in a foster child, especially one with special needs. We talked for a long time and we are going to meet for coffee in the next few days to talk about what the next step might be. It's not a done deal, but I can't tell you the huge huge weight that has lifted off my heart. I am hopeful for the first time in a long time. I was terrified.
Also, my mom got a call from the oncologist to tell her her last series of tests is NNED, which means no new evidence of disease - in other words, the cancer has not spread.
Whew. I'm crying again. But this time not because I'm sad!
