Strong and Courageous Heroes: People Living with Disabilities and Their Caregivers

I wanted to share some of the life lessons and wisdom that I learned from my friends and colleagues who live each and every day with disabilities.

People with disabilities have a lot to offer to society.?They are hardworking and appreciative because they know what the definition of suffering and sacrifice is.?They face adversity and can deal with difficult situations, persevering under pressure more than the average person.?Those with disabilities are tremendously creative, often needing to find new ways to accomplish even the simplest of tasks.?They are problem solvers and know the importance of planning ahead, acting as a driving force for innovation by proposing creative solutions.

I hope that those living with disabilities understand that their disability has nothing to do with who they are as a person.?Rather, a disability is something you “have”, not something that defines “who you are." Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people could look at us and see the “hero within” and say, “Wow, isn’t that person strong and courageous?”

I want to share some words from a dear friend of mine. She told me, “Debby, you see me sitting here smiling, but you have no idea how and what it took for me to be here, dressed and ready to speak to you.?Getting ready in the morning may take you half an hour, but it takes me twice as long.?Where it may be normal for you to take the stairs, I need to look for an elevator.?I have to travel to places the day beforehand to make sure I know where to park and see if I can enter the building.?You can easily walk up the curb, but a street curb for me can be insurmountable, not to speak about steps without a railing.”?

She continued: “I have friends who are not able to fly in an airplane because airplane bathrooms are too small and not accessible.?Hotel rooms that are handicap accessible are not always practically designed.?A tiny pebble under my shoe can cause me to lose my balance, so I need to watch my steps, calculate every move and constantly find ways to overcome any barrier that may present itself during my day.”

My friend and colleague travels the world with her work, inspiring people wherever she goes.?Because mobility is so important for her, she uses a cane to help her walk better, a walker to help transport groceries from her car and a mobility scooter at the airport.?When faced with a challenge, she doesn’t say “This cannot be done”, but rather “How can I do this?”

Also, just a tip – if someone with a disability has the courage to ask a stranger for help, your response should be: “HOW can I help you?”

And it goes without saying, there’s also no better way for parents to teach their children the act of kindness than by showing them situations like this.

A Powerful Gift from a Three-Year-Old Boy with Autism

As I was in the midst of writing this article, someone asked me what the best holiday gift I have ever received is.?As I started to think about it, I realized that the answer was a gift that didn’t cost any money yet is one that I will never forget. I think of the days when various family members came to visit us when we were home because of my husband’s medical treatments.?A recent visit was from two family members joined by their fourth grade daughter and their three-year-old autistic son. Sitting together in our dining room, we spoke about how strong the mother’s instinct was. She trusted her inner voice when no one else suspected that their son at age two might have autism.?She was determined and unstoppable, setting up an appointment for her and her husband to seek an evaluation.?Not only was she right about the diagnosis, but the immediate and early intervention she sought is so critical to her son’s future success.?These two parents are not only heroes; they are an example of the power of courage, commitment and organization.?They both have their own careers but have managed to incorporate an extraordinary amount of hours of professional guidance, training and support for their son as a part of their lives.??

Along with my deep admiration for this family, I also felt sad when they explained to me that they could rarely visit other people’s homes due to their son’s autism which required them to deal with so many internal and external issues.?I witnessed the following situation in my home and here’s where the gift I was telling you about earlier came in.?The three-year-old was fixated looking at the pool out of our dining room window, so much so that suddenly he took off his clothes and excitedly tried to go outside to swim like he does at his own house.?It happened to be really cold and raining out on this day so of course, we couldn’t let him swim. Yet, he was determined to!?The lessons learned here were those of CREATIVITY, COMPASSION and FLEXIBILITY that resulted in all of us moving to the sitting area where my bathtub is located, watching this little boy splash around in an “indoor pool”. Let’s just say that I have never seen a happier child laugh and play in a bathtub. We all had so much fun and there was no stress on his parents.?When his mother hugged me and expressed how much it meant to her to be safe to visit our house while being open and honest, I realized that the bathtub party was the best gift of my holiday! That’s why I say caregivers and people with disabilities are my heroes!

I hope people everywhere can acknowledge that YOU truly are STRONG and COURAGEOUS HEROES!

And of course, every life journey is unique and important and that’s why I am continuing to offer my free gift so you can celebrate your own life! I’ve heard from so many families who started to capture their life stories using my free gift of the award-winning QVC sell-out life interview eBook “Cherished Memories – The Story of My Life”.?You’ll too want to start off 2024 with this amazing gift.??Just go to www.DebbyBitticks.com and use the code GRATITUDE.