BUILDING NEW HOPES & DREAMS AFTER A DIAGNOSIS
My name is Tina Persels, I am the parent of Adam, a 22-year-old young man who is very handsome, loves old rock music, plays Connect 4, and has a beautiful mind. Adam also lives with complex medical needs and multiple disabilities. 
When Adam was born and for the first several years of his life we were unsure of his prognosis as he endured multiple medical procedures and surgeries. We were told by the doctors that he would never walk, talk, etc.
One doctor, in particular, told us “he did not know” what Adam would or would not do. He told us he has seen many miracles in his work, and that we should give him the best chances to succeed and not give up hope. After that, we knew that hope was the one thing we had that we could really work with, and if we gave that up, we would not be giving Adam the best chance to succeed in his own individual way.
Today Adam is a happy, healthy, hopeful young adult who enjoys life and creates smiles and laughs where ever he goes. He is still learning and growing, and he does not give up hope – ever. As his mom, I know that is a gift we were able to give him, even amongst all of his challenges.
As parents, it is not as easy to have a hopeful mindset as this small paragraph suggests. It takes time, thought, teamwork, education, and confidence on our part. To learn more check out this article about Building New Hopes and Dreams after a Diagnosis, on the Medical Home Portal.
