Sharing an E-Mail from Nick's PT (Socialization)

Hi everyone,

I am sharing an e-mail sent to me by Nick's school PT, Ellen Swartz, who has an sister with CP. Ellen said I could share this with everyone.

Blessings:)
Amy

Here is the e-mail:If you would like to, that would be fine with me. When I talk to my mom, she says she wishes she would have had another mom who she could talk to about things. I think your blog is a GREAT way to help other moms and families like ours.
Thanks...e~


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Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:19:41 -0700
From: amyhyndman@buckeye-express.com
To: kbellen@hotmail.com
CC: packerscoach2020@yahoo.com; greg.hyndman@northstarbluescope.com; greghyndman@buckeye-express.com; pjhobbit@bex.net; nanapfw1946@woh.rr.com; papajaw1947@woh.rr.com; dpetersen@abilitycenter.org
Subject: Re: PT at high school


Hi Ellen,

Yes, everything at school is great. We can just keep things as they are.

I appreciate SO much your comments and sharing that about your sister. (made me cry too, I GET it!) I am very touched by that and I hope your sister knows how helpful her sharing that is.
Would you mind if I post that on our blog, that part and say it is from you? I think people could really benefit from that experience. Let me know. Thanks so much Ellen for your kindness and sharing that. It means a lot!

Take Care,
Amy

Amy L. Hyndman
10312 Scarlet Oak Dr.
Perrysburg, Ohio 43551
419-872-7522
amyhyndman@buckeye-express.com
"It's all for the Journey"


--- kbellen@hotmail.com wrote:

From: Ellen Swartz
To: Amy Hyndman
Subject: PT at high school
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2010 11:19:00 -0400

Hi Amy!

I talked with Nick thursday during his study hall...what a nice young man you have. We talked for a little about school - he seems to have everything he needs set up. Fire drills, bathroom, class changes, on/off the bus, etc. He says he's doing well, no issues from his perspective. I talked with one of his aides and his case manager, and they both agree with Nick - things are going well. Do you have any concerns? I will write up his present levels and send them off to his case manager soon.

We also talked about some social things. I told him how impressed I am with his DRIVE! He is not willing to just sit back and let high school pass by - he is going to participate and be an active student. That impresses me - more than you may know. See, I was talking on wednesday at work at our outpatient office with a mom and her daughter (she is a freshman at another high school) about this same thing. Mom wants her daughter to be a PART of things and to enjoy the next years, but the daughter is not interested. She would rather be with adults...which makes sense, but - she REALLY needs to be a part of her own social group. I get it that is it hard, but I never acutally LIVED it myself. SOOOOO...I sat with my mom and my sister at dinner that night (my sister is 40 and has CP, too) and asked this question:

To my mom: Do you think you did enough to get Connie involved?
To my sister: Do you wish you had been involved in SOMETHING? (she never did in high school)

And this is what happened...my sister cried, my mother cried...ugh. That was NOT my intention! :) BUT - my sister said looking back, she WISHED she would have been able to be a part of something, to make friends because NOW, she still doesn't know how to make friends. She is still very HURT by the teasing she recieved, and is ususally very concerned it will happen again EVEN NOW! 22 years later! WOW.

My mom (as most moms do!) looks back and thinks maybe she DIDN'T do enough, but had always left things ultimately up to my sister. We did have horses (stabled out by Oak Openings), dance lessons, swimming, etc ...but not through the high school.

MY POINT...ugh...sorry that I am going on and on...is that I think Nick is an exceptional young man. I think he will have something to SAY and will be such an asset to people like him - and those who are in their lives. To be a part of the sports teams-either on the side line or on the mat- is an important part of high school. What a brave and SMART guy!

I thank you for raising such an amazing person. He is wise beyond his age! I love spending time with him. I look back 12 (or so) years ago when I saw him with Ann (I was her student, then also worked for her)...what a cool kid he was even then!

I say this sincerely and respectfully,

Ellen Swartz