When A Second Child Is Diagnosed
I took this photo back in December 2019, on the day our youngest was officially diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome just like his big brother.
It's taken me this long to share about it, and I'm not really sure why other than it's been a whole new journey to accept and work through.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The good news is, we know what we're doing this time around. The bad news is, we also know how hard it is.⠀⠀⠀
When our oldest son was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in 2015, we were shocked. We didn't know anything about Tourette, other than what we'd seen in the media, and it was nothing like what we were experiencing at home. Receiving a special needs diagnosis for your child is a tumultuous time. Waves of grief, relief to finally have answers, and so many questions. Is it because of something I did while pregnant? Why him? If it's truly genetic, where did it come from?
The verse I clung to upon diagnosis is one that I return to often: Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. - John 9:3.
Just like there was no fault behind the man's blindness mentioned in this verse, we aren't to blame either. We instead choose to focus on the many ways God has shown His strength through our journey, and have hope He will continue to do the same as we start another one with another child.
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Feeling grateful that we have the experience to fall back on this time, and for those that went ahead of us and were such a source of hope during our first diagnosis. Finding a specialist team we love, a greater appreciation for the little things in life, and in my case, using music to reach other moms just like me makes a difference.
