When Jonathan and Leah Dyck’s second daughter was born with a rare genetic condition that would significantly affect her development and learning capacity, they had no idea that the struggles they faced would become an avenue for reaching out to other parents like themselves. This Common Ground (TCG) is a newly founded support and resource group in Niverville. The goal is to provide a place for parents, foster parents, and caregivers to collaborate and share in the realities of caring for someone with special needs.
“There are actually many incredible blessings and opportunities to be celebrated and we like to express and honour those,” says Leah Dyck of parenting a special needs child. “However, there are struggles as well. Finding quality respite, managing multiple appointments, finding the balance between doing therapy and life, the sense of isolation [and] fatigue from dealing with physical or emotional needs, to name a few. [TCG] seeks to create a regular, meaningful time for people to come together and relate to others with similar experiences.”
Dyck well recalls the days and months after their daughter’s birth. They faced appointments and tests and long waits for answers. Upon receiving the difficult news of her diagnosis, they were forced to face their fears head-on and restructure their lives to make room for the challenges ahead. All while parenting an active toddler at home.
“Jonathan and I had a lot of support from our family, friends, and church group. In those early days, they supplied us with meals, encouragement, a listening ear, and prayer. It was not an easy time, but their support made it doable. I realized that not everyone who goes through this has the same support that we did and a growing desire to share this with others began.”
It wasn’t difficult finding other parents who recognized the need for such a support group. Together with four other parents of special needs children, ranging in age from toddler to adult, a plan was hatched for TCG.
As the name suggests, the group’s goal is to help others realize that they are far from alone. Bringing parents and caregivers together can create an atmosphere of sharing and learning from each other’s experiences, finding solutions to everyday problems, and giving them the encouragement needed to keep going when times are tough.
To get the message out, the group created a Facebook page. Within a short period of time, families from around Manitoba joined. Their first monthly support meeting was held in September at the Fourth Avenue Bible Church. Though the first meeting’s attendance was relatively small, Dyck is confident that will change as word spreads.
Along with providing an opportunity for parent networking, the group is already planning ahead for upcoming events. These might include guest speakers who offer financial advice on registered disability savings plans, professionals in counselling services, and governmental support workers.
“One exciting possibility is to begin a Music & Movement Program for children who have special needs,” says Dyck. “There are many fantastic sports programs available in Niverville, but none are fitting for children that have physical and developmental challenges. We want to change that and bring something new to Niverville. [This] will provide a suitable, structured opportunity for kids to increase their physical activity, meet other kids in our community that also face similar challenges, and have a lot of fun in the process.”
Although the term “special needs” can be broad in scope, TCG is open to caregivers who require extra consideration resulting from learning difficulties, physical disabilities, or emotional and behavioural challenges.
“Although every special needs child is different and every family is unique, there are some common concerns that link parents of challenged kids, including getting appropriate care and accommodations, promoting acceptance in the extended family, school and community, planning for an uncertain future, and adjusting routines and expectations,” adds Dyck.
TCG also welcomes older parents of grown, dependent children, recognizing that once you are a special needs parent you are that parent for life. These parents and caregivers are oftentimes still struggling many years in but have a wealth of experience and knowledge that is invaluable to younger parents.
“Niverville is a fantastic community in which to raise a family,” says Dyck. “We’ve been blessed with administration that seeks to grow and strengthen our town. We have many great teachers and support staff within our schools. We have services in the community that promote health and wellness. This Common Ground wants to add another layer to the Niverville community. There are [many] families whose lives are affected by special needs. However, there are not many supports in the South Eastman area for [these] families and we have a vision about how that can change and are excited about that.”
This Common Ground meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month in the youth room at the Fourth Avenue Bible Church.
