Supporting moms and kids every day of the year
April shower bring May flowers…and Mother’s Day! As beautiful tulips, daisies, lilies and many other blooms are filling our lawns and fields with bright colors, we also pause to honor motherhood in the month of May. It’s appropriate that the floral beauty accompanies the celebration of the beautiful gift of motherhood!
This year at the March for Life we have been focusing on children with a poor prenatal diagnosis, who are tragically aborted at a rate of approximately 85%. Thankfully, many moms and families resist pressure from doctors or society to abort, and give birth to precious children that, although they may face medical or development challenges, are a gift to this world.
While we must continue to challenge the cultural perception that only “perfect” lives are worth living and celebrate the moms who choose life despite learning that their preborn child has a fetal abnormality, we also must be mindful of supporting moms and families as they are raising their child with special needs.
This month for our Give Life Challenge, we are encouraging moms who are raising kids with special needs with an inspiring message. Will you join the hundreds of others who have signed this note of encouragement?
We’ve also compiled a list of resources that moms can connect to for help and encouragement. One example is Jill’s House, a wonderful resource that provides much-needed relief to their families with children with special needs in the greater Washington DC area. Jill’s House serves families of boys and girls, ages six through seventeen, with intellectual disabilities without regard to race, religion, or ethnicity. Jill’s House provides a safe, fun place full of adventure and tailor-made activities for children with special needs while giving their moms, families, and care-givers desperately-needed time to rest and recharge. Last fall, we hosted a briefing for Down Syndrome Awareness Month with a Jill’s House mom as one of our panelists, which you can read about HERE.
Perhaps you’re being called to support one of these organizations, get involved, or even start a ministry for children with special needs and their moms in your community. It’s a beautiful way to work towards a culture of life where every person is welcomed and treated with dignity.