embracing the unexpected trip

“The hardest part was feeling alone in this new situation where not a lot of other people could understand what I was going through, I was so scared. I just wanted to laugh again. I’m funny, I think,” says Vickie with a smirk. “But for weeks, months, I didn’t laugh. But then I started laughing. And I’d look around and think, ‘Is this okay?’ Then other people saw me laughing and they became more comfortable with Will and us and our situation. It was freeing.”

Emboldened by her journey, Vickie works tirelessly to help other special needs families realize the same thing is possible for them.

“She is comfortable with herself and has a uniqueness about her that attracts others. People connect with and never seem to be afraid to confide in her,” shares Dave.

“There is a ton of help out there, but you have to open your heart and be out there and let people see,” Vickie says. “You’re not stuck in your house. This is huge for me to share my story. I think it reflects how I’ve changed and how I hope to help others change, too.”

“Life is what you make it…and we choose to be positive, have faith and trust this path was picked for us,” says Dave.

Vickie wholeheartedly believes that without Will their lives would be much different. “We never would’ve experienced the awesome life we have,” says Vickie. “We never would’ve met the people, families, therapists, parents, paras, bus drivers, teachers, respite-care workers—you name it—who make our lives and Will’s life and the lives of so many other children better every day.”

It’s a journey that Vickie says is just beginning.

“I want to be part of the change,” she says, simply. “I believe we can do it. I’m a ‘we’ person. We can do anything together. We have a different journey that isn’t done.”

And, if we’ve learned anything from Vickie, it’s that anything is possible in Holland.

“If you spend your life wishing for Italy you will never discover the beauty of Holland.”

To view the entire piece, Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley, visit www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html