Growing with Joe

9781424145614

1424145619

As each child with a disability is diagnosed, there is a family who enters into a dark place full of fear, anger and a constant feeling of empowerment that only another parent of a special-needs child could possibly comprehend. Danielle and her family know of this place all too well. In 1999, Danielle and her husband, Dan, watched as the world that they knew of quickly crumbled down around them. After a year of testing, Joseph, their second son, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism and white matter disease. However, Danielle had already begun to fall into a severe depression, distancing herself from her husband and had surrendered to her own self-blame. Realizing the road of self-destruction that she had taken, she began to search for someone or something to help her find the strength she needed. Then she found the only person who could give her the guidance that she was searching for…her own son Joseph. Danielle is now sharing her story, hoping to help other parents of special-needs children find that strength and the hero that lies within themselves.