The Hero Who Helped Us Over Our Hurdles
I was a relatively new mom and had just experienced evaluations for speech, development, occupational, and physical therapy for my son Graham.
But there was an even bigger hurdle…an Autism evaluation.
I was told a referral was placed for the evaluation and that it could take time to get an appointment, so I was impatiently patiently waiting only to find out there was no appointment and there was no referral.
Why?
Because the facility the referral was sent to would not evaluate Graham due to him being under age three.
I went round and round with the hospital, arguing it wasn’t acceptable.
Why says early intervention is best and then deny the evaluation because they are too young?
Round and round I went between them and our local pediatrician when I finally got to the department I needed, Growth and Development. The phone rang, a voice answered.
Little did I know this woman would become the best person I would ever meet on this journey with my son. She let me vent and by vent, I mean ball my eyes out as I tried to explain our situation. She then provided the info I needed to give to our pediatrician to get an appointment scheduled for Graham.
We hung up and I immediately went to work to get our pediatrician to send a referral in to her. A few days later, I got a call they received it and could get us in for a consultation. She warned me that Graham would not be evaluated that day. I was sad to hear that but I had an in, finally!
After the consult, the appointment was scheduled for his evaluation just a few months later, where he received his autism diagnosis.
She has been my saving grace through all things autism with Graham.
I will never forget when I called her balling my eyes out because Graham was self harming and I couldn’t help calm him down. She immediately went to work getting us help.
Every time we attend an appointment at Growth and Development, she visits with us after our developmental pediatrician completes her exam with Graham.
She asks us how we are doing and what’s going on in our life. She doesn’t have to do that, and most professionals don’t care.
We have attended so many other specialty doctors’ appointments and have not received nearly the kindness she shows us.
To Our Hero:
Thank you for being my unsung hero! You will never know how much your kindness means to me.
Here I am a first time mother and was going through something I never expected and you showed me compassion. You listen when I need to vent about all the issues we are constantly dealing with for Graham. You have taken your time with our son and let him grow in his comfort with you.
To see him interact with you and let you hold him now warms my heart!
I wish all medical professionals would do the same.
Written by, Courtney Mills
My name is Courtney Mills. I’m am thirty-two years old. My husband and I have the privilege of raising one of the sweetest boys on the planet. His name is Graham. In 2019 Graham was diagnosed with severe autism. In that moment, we realized just how lost we were. No information, little help, and a whole lot of anxiety about the future. I began learning, going to seminars, asking questions, and attending conferences. Advocating by relaying our story and experiences to others. We are lost in the woods, but every day we make progress finding ourselves and the path. Guiding Graham’s Way is a journey and adventure, driven by the desire to help others. I have decided to share my story, knowledge, and to support others in theirs. You can follow us on Facebook at Guiding Graham’s Way.
Interested in writing for Finding Cooper’s Voice? LEARN MORE
Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.
