She Changes - People's - Lives (Updated)
by alegre, Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 07:44:57 PM EDT
Bill Clinton said that as he was introducing Hillary at a rally today. Truer words were never spoken where my family's concerned and it touched my heart deeply to hear him tell the story of just how Hillary made all the difference in my 5 year old son's life.
Now some of you might already know my son's story. I've told it a few times here on the net and even more to anyone who'll listen - anywhere - any time. Especially when I'm phone banking for Hillary down at the campaign office. I tell it because her work's meant that much to me - to my son - and to his future.
My dear sweet boy was born with some sort of a developmental delay. By his two-month check-up our pediatrician knew something wasn't quite right, so she suggested we visit the genetics clinic at NIH. I don't care that those brilliant and compassionate doctors have never been able to figure out just what was going on - all I care about is the progress my son's made over the past 4 & a half years.
In his introduction of Hillary at that Philadelphia rally today, Bill spoke of Hillary's work in law school. She'd taken an extra year at Yale to study early childhood development. Bill spoke about one of their first dinners together, when she was shaken by the children she'd worked with that day - kids who hadn't been fed in days or who had cigarette burns - abused and neglected children. He said it'd shaken her but she kept at it for another year because she believed in the work she was doing.
After finishing law school at Yale, she could have written her own ticket - gone to work for any big name law firm in the nation but instead she chose to go to work with Marion Wright Edelman at the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). She knocked on doors to find out why children weren't enrolled in our public schools and she found that kids with disabilities the blind, the deaf or even kids with a mild learning disability weren't being taught in our schools. There weren't even teachers who could help kids with mild dyslexia back then.
So she took her findings to Congress and they passed a nationwide law that required our public schools to accommodate kids with special needs. Kids like my sweet son.
A friend of mine here in Maryland said she used to do home visits with kids who were confined to wheel chairs - they had cerebral palsy and for a while had the chance to attend our schools. Until they reached the 3rd or 4th grade that is. The minute they reached the age (and size) where the teachers and staff in the schools could no longer lift them and their wheel chairs up and down the stairs of our schools, they had to drop out. Children as bright as a brand new penny and their education stopped at the age of 8 or 9. Hillary's work early work with the CDF helped those children as well.
Hillary didn't stop there guys - she went on to help pass other laws too, like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She fought to help pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). And she's fought for funding for programs put in place by these laws. Laws that none of us ever give thought to and yet they help millions of families just like mine - every day.
You guys, if my sweet son had been born 35 years ago he would have been written off as retarded Thanks to the early intervention programs that were put in to place in part because of Hillary's early work with the CDF, he's gotten the early intervention that's made all the difference in the world to him and our family.
By the time he was 18 months old we had him enrolled in our county's Infants & Toddlers Program, where he got physical therapy (fine and gross motor skills). He worked with speech therapist and eventually began work with a special ed preschool teacher. By his third birthday we had him enrolled in the PEP program, where he went to special ed preschool with about 12 other children, and continued to receive that physical therapy and worked with teachers who helped him develop the skills he'd need once he started kindergarten.
After 3 years of special ed preschool my son will start kindergarten this fall with the other 5 year olds in our community. In fact, I'll take him into school to meet his new teacher at the schools kindergarten orientation on Thursday.
My son didn't sit up on his own until he was 13 or 14 months old. He was nearly 2 before he could walk across the room on his own. And now he runs and jumps and plays with other children.
The tests they gave him during his re-evaluation in the transition from the PEP program to kindergarten told us something else - that my son's IQ is not only well within "normal" range, but a bit higher than a lot of other 5 year olds. They also test the kids for readiness to learn to read - most children score a 12 but my sweet boy who's rarely without a book scored a 19.
He's ready to learn but will still need some extra help. We never would have known that if it hadn't been for that early intervention that Hillary helped put into place with her early work back in the 70s and as First Lady during the 90s.
And when I heard Bill tell us this part of Hillary's story at that rally today the tears started flowing down my cheeks. This part of her story needs to be told at every turn you guys. This story tells us so much about her character - she could have taken the easy road to the big bucks back in 1973, but she went with her heart and did work she could be proud of. She helped millions of families just like mine over the years and for that she'll have my undying gratitude.
The thing is, she never did this work for notoriety or thanks. She wasn't looking for awards or accolades. She did it because she knew it was the right thing to do and the work needed to be done - by someone - by her. Those kids - my kid needed her help and she stepped up to the plate and helped to pass the laws that have made the difference in literally millions of lives over the years.
She changed the life of my son and the rest of my family in more ways than I can possibly say.
I've been writing about Hillary for nearly a year now. And during that time people just can't understand why I'm so passionate about Hillary and her herstoric run for the White House. They question my sincerity. They attack me for telling my son's story here on the net.
I've even been accused (repeatedly) of being a member of her campaign staff.
Well I'm not on her staff. And I'll never stop telling his story to anyone who'll listen.
I'm a working mother of two amazing children who shares my rambling thoughts on the Net each night after my kids go to sleep. Some people appreciate my efforts - others attack me for it.
You want to understand where I'm coming from, imagine having a child who needs help. And then think of how incredibly grateful you'd be to anyone who stepped up to the plate and provided that help. Hillary may have done the important work - the heavy lifting long before my son was born. But her legacy lives on in his life and the lives of millions of other children who've benefited from her work over the years.
Every - single - day.
U P D A T E
Ok I normally wouldnt add this to something so personal but Im doing all this for my kids dammit this elections too damned important to be shy now. So Im going to ask you to donate whatever you can to help Hillary keep fighting through to the convention. My sons a fan of hers I dont think hed mind my telling his story OR my funding pitch here tonight. In fact, I think hed get a kick out of knowing he helped Hillary. Think of it as his small way of telling Hillary thanks.
Tags: 2008 elections, children, Children's Defense Fund, Hillary Clinton, president (all tags)
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