Visiting the Leckey Factory: A Labor of Love

The Leckey Factory

We awakened early and had a quick bite of breakfast; some rasher (how the Irish reference bacon),  bangers (which are Irish sausages),  black and white pudding (which is a soft-textured sausage made from the cooked and congealed blood of pigs or cattle. The blood is mixed with fillers like pork, beef, fat, oatmeal, bread, potato or barley to create a familiar sausage constancy).  The white pudding is much the same as the black without the blood.  Irish brown bread, and Boxty which is like an Irish pancake, sometimes the breakfasts would include mushrooms and a steamed tomato.   Chris would often ask the kitchen for cereal, Weetabix or Coco-cereal.   Noah would always get strawberry yogurt.   And Luke - well he was rather attached to the hard boiled eggs and chocolate croissants.   Now doesn't that just sound like a wonderful way to start your morning? 

Our breakfast

Cereal and Morning Goodies

I haven't been able to eat or handle the idea of sausage since my pregnancy with Luke, but surprisingly I adored Irish Bangers, the casings and meat are very soft a bit like the texture of bologna or braunschweiger brands in the States.  I did have a bit of trouble with the black pudding.  I believe in trying everything at least once, sometimes more than once to give things a proper chance.  The smell was a little different than what I am used to.  I can't say it was really all that bad, just something I simply wasn't accustomed to eating.  I would however try it again, so the verdict is really out if it's something I could learn to love or not. 

After we had eaten we arrived in the lobby of the hotel where a taxi took us to Lisburn to the Leckey Factory.  It was maybe a twenty minute drive and I loved passing hillsides full of green and farm houses.  All the taxi drivers were so warm and kind.  They would chat with us the entire way, making sure we were having a delightful time.   You'd see sometimes those making driving mistakes, and each driver wouldn't hold a grudge.  They'd roll down their windows and wish each other good day.  Same thing with drivers in general, they just roll down windows and ask for directions or ask how each other are doing.    The exact opposite of what you'd find here in the US where road rage is rampant and where no one tolerates each other to make an honest driving mistake without being aggressive.  We certainly wouldn't be willing to roll down our windows to chat with each other.  Reminded me literally of those please pass the Grey Poupon Commercials.

Once we arrived at the factory we were greeted by so many employees from Leckey.  They all eagerly awaited our arrival and were truly excited to have us as their guests.   We all put our belongings in a room and joined Mr. James Leckey for a presentation in the entrance of the factory.   Mr. Leckey is everything you'd hope to find in a person working to help children with special needs.  A tender, huge heart for those in need.  A man of great character doing his best to change lives for the better.  He lives and breathes his motto of "it's not just what we make, it's what we make possible." I loved how genuine Mr. Leckey and his entire team were.  They are working in all the right directions for all the right reasons.  They want to help, they want to be there to make a difference in the lives of anyone who needs their services and equipment.  They want to help the special needs community in so many beautiful ways.  

I enjoyed Mr. Leckey's enthusiasm and his unwavering sense of hope.  His encouragement in all things possible.  His presentation was lovely and delivered new ideas that will be life changing for children like Noah.  A true motivator and believer in inspiring positive change.  Leckey is a team of almost 150 employees creating and designing quality products that we desperately need and so many children continue to benefit from these blossoming ideas. 

It then came for the part that all of us had eagerly been waiting for.  The tour of the entire factory! 

I know you're thinking it's just a factory.  Why on earth would you be so excited?  

Well here's the thing:   When you are a parent to a child who has special needs an equipment factory that is filled with pieces of equipment that could benefit your child with every day living, feels like you just wound up in Candyland.   You'd look at something and would be like... I want that!!  Or look in the other direction and be like I want that too!  And that too!   Unfortunately the price tags in the US make some things rather impossible for us here.  I get that, I do.  I live it each day.  The same frustrations many of you do.  Medicaid appeals, daily fights for insurance, equipment you can't afford of of pocket.  But these costs don't come directly from Leckey.  Because they are located in the UK they have to work with many third parties to get these products here, some you are familiar with like Ottobock and your local DME (Durable Medical Equipment Providers) they all get to tack on whatever costs they want to the Leckey product once it leaves their factory.  Which is very appealing with the Firefly brand of Leckey.  They are making products that cut out all the middle people, designing products that are more affordable and within reach.  

Every piece is sewn by hand!

Large tables cut fabric that is ready to be sewn

The signatures of almost 150 employees that work for Leckey promising to make a difference in the life of your child with special needs

Upon exploring another recent Leckey product called the Comfee Seat for another family in the US, I received the following information by email from a local Ottobock representative:  "retail prices set for a modestly equipped ‘package’ for each of the three sizes. These mocked up packages include the seat shell and cushions, wooden tray, headrest, lateral calf supports and trunk laterals.  For a size 1, the retail has been set at approximately $10,800, size 2 at $11,900 and size 3 at $12,600, (I’m rounding) with a shipping cost of $650."  You don't even want me to tell you what the Comfee Seat retails for at Leckey.  I will tell you it's not even half the cost.   To date I do not know of any US family that has yet obtained the Comfee Seat, simply because of the price tag and insurance deeming this alternative seating and a non-covered benefit.  

The Comfee Seat by Leckey

Yes it's as wonderful as it looks!

I don't know if it will always be this way, deep down I'll tell you a little secret... I'm holding out hope that maybe, just maybe someday there will be a Leckey factory somewhere in the US!   And then the costs wouldn't be so astronomical and out of reach.  I know it's nice for a girl to dream!   But sometimes dreams do come true.  You just have to believe.  So I'm never going to give up that someday it will be easier somehow, someway for our children to obtain these things here in the US without parents knowing they can't ever reach the price tag.

The factory also gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for the time and love that is literally invested in each piece of equipment.  Everything is hand-made.  Hand sewn and put together completely by hand.  One Comfee Seat in itself takes 36 hours from start to finish to be made.   Before visiting the factory I'd look at Noah's Leckey Mygo and think it was machine produced, I had no idea that there was someone behind the scenes who sewed every stitch by hand.  Carved and molded the base and metal.  It's a factory where they put a personal touch on every product.  It means something to them.  To all of them.  They are making quality products because they are taking the time to make sure they stand the test of time for our children. 

I always knew that Leckey made good products. Noah has always responded to the equipment they make favorably, and I am so glad I got a chance to come away with a bigger understanding of just what makes them such a great company!  

Some of our new friends

 

Love,





Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Firefly Meet & Greet: A Dinner of Friends

Bloggers, Magazine Editors, the Inventor of the Upsee and the Firefly and Leckey Team all met up for a Sunday evening dinner so we all could get to know each other.   The boys and Chris stayed behind at the hotel to give us a chance to meet and greet without our families.  Although they had an amazing dinner before I left, with creamy mac and cheese and raspberry mousse.  Luke even indulged in the biggest chocolate shake!

We met at a little restaurant called Flame .

It was exciting to be meeting with many people that are very well known within our special needs communities in person for the first time.   There were two tables reserved for all of us (there were a lot of us).   We sprinkled ourselves about randomly starting to introduce ourselves and share our stories.  I was in the best of company. 

I had the opportunity to meet some truly brilliant, inspiring and lovely people.  And made so many new friendships that will last a lifetime.  We spent hours laughing and enjoying small talk.  I am convinced the very best humor lives in the UK.   The kind of laughter that makes your whole body tingle and your tummy ache from laughing.  I can't remember the last time I had such grand laughs.  Truly healthy for the soul.  Laughter they say is the best medicine.

And I learned some great UK terms!
First being food is Gorgeous!  (And it is really on all levels!)

I ordered the potato and leek soup as a starter with crusty bread.  It was a delicate soup, creamy, rich, super silky with bread that complimented it perfectly. Then had Lamb Cutlets, Orange & Rosemary Butter, Tomato, ½ Shallot and Chips.  The lamb was in these pretty spirals and was as tender as butter, with a lightly hinted orange sauce, the rosemary butter a perfect compliment to the tomato and chips, which in Ireland are more like chunky french fries.
With the best part being dessert. 

They brought out this really large dessert menu.  It was so hard to chose and I decided I should step outside my comfort zone and chose something I have never had.  Upon the recommendation of locals, I chose Pavlova.  It is a meringue cake that has a light and delicate crisp crust and a soft, sweet and delicious marshmallow center.  It was served with whipped cream in perfect peaks adorned with fresh fruit and currants still on the vine.  It looked too perfect to eat.   I happened to order the last portion of it, and once it arrived it had the rest of my dinner companions in awe.   But as they say in Ireland, "I wasn't too precious" to let others sample. 

Isn't it a Masterpiece?

And the experience doesn't end there.  Ordered a coffee that was as thick as hot chocolate, about five sips and it was gone and I wanted it to be endless, and it came complimented with a little ginger biscuit.  It was the sweetest drink ever.  It made me feel like I having my own personal adult tea party right there by myself with my tiny little cup of coffee and biscuit.  It would be safe to say I was really enjoying myself.

I found all the food in Ireland to be very warm, simple, cozy and comforting.  You could taste how fresh and pure everything was.  I had a greater understanding of how truly tainted American food is with chemicals, artificial dyes and GMO's.  My taste buds were in complete heaven the entire trip and I had a true appreciation for how much better food quality is in other parts of the world.  I'm missing all the great Irish meals and I keep trying to search out the meals I adored while there.

Hands down if you are in Belfast, a place you need to visit for a meal is Flame!

Love,



Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Exploring Belfast: Leprechaun Coins!

There was a break in the rain and we decided to explore our surroundings.  We loaded up the boys and just a picked a direction to walk in.  The moment we stepped out Chris found money on the ground.  We both laughed and agreed Leprechauns do exist, we found our little pot of gold right there on the street.  We collected a whopping thirty-six pence.  We both promised we wouldn't spend it.  It was our luck.  And we were going to bring it home and pray it brought us blessings.

The Luck we Found in Ireland!

We passed a variety of little street corner shops, the capital, and the Titanic Memorial.  We even made it all the way to the river.  What a peaceful and majestic river.  You know the kind that you only see in paintings that you wish you could experience.  And I had the opportunity to breathe in that moment.  To feel it, to absorb it through my soul.   Noah loved being out and people openly spoke to him and admired how cute both boys were in the wheelchair and tag along tandem chair we attached to the back for Luke to ride jointly.  It was a bit chilly and we forgot to pack a blanket for Noah's legs so we hunted out a little gift shop where we bought him a shamrock blanket to keep him warm.  It became his trademark while we were there.  The little boy in the red wheelchair with the shamrock blanket - that was our Noah.

Noah and his Shamrock Blanket

The River

The shops are quaint and friendly.   Chris and I agreed we would allow each other to splurge and buy one thing for the each of us to bring back.  I picked a pair of really cute size 4 boots with sequins, Chris being the conservative father that he is refused to spend much on himself and bought a simple shot glass.  Classic of his personality and wanting to reserve all his pennies for his family.  I knew he was wanting to give extra to the boys so he bought them each a teddy bear from Ireland.  We bought Noah a titanic shirt and Luke chose himself a little backpack.  Our mini treasures.

Out little souvenirs from Ireland

We explored the little corner stores that they had, which were fairly typical of what you might find in the States at a gas station store.  Your essentials, and things to drink, and of course all things Cadbury.  I was in awe of how many daily papers were available.  It feels like in the States papers are a thing of the past with online news.  It was nice to hold several real papers in your hands and read what was going on in Belfast.  But I'm much the type of person that loves to curl up with a paper and a hot coffee.  I forgot how much I missed those simple moments that I no longer could indulge in after Noah was born.  There is no time for the world to stand still for me.   Simple pleasures have long gone.

The Belfast Paper after the Upsee Launch!  And yes there's a quote in there from me!

The Titanic Memorial was one of the things we got to pass and experience.  Tragedies of such magnitude always feel more real when you can touch each name that lost their life.   It some way it makes the numbers more personal.  It's a really pretty memorial, and done very nicely with a beautiful little garden.  I loved the feeling of everywhere we walked was pouring with rich history.  Every building seemed to have a story, every walkway and path traveled itching to tell you secrets.  I was enchanted as were my children and husband.  Noah giggled with excitement and really was our tour guide expressing which direction he wanted to walk in.   He led us to some really great places.  It was almost as if Noah had been there before.  And I'm not exaggerating.  Noah was so content, so within his element there.  Luke likewise was a model toddler.  His manners never wavered and he was such a proper young boy.   I'm so proud of them both as a mother. 

Garden at the Titanic Memorial

Streets of Belfast

Belfast Capital.  Isn't it just grand?

We were so sad to have to turn back to find the comforts of our hotel, but in Belfast it rains rather frequently and we never were able to master the art of telling which rain clouds would pour and which ones would float by.  The clouds there move fast and swirl with wonder, leaving behind a smell of all things fresh and new.  Everything growing there is so happy, even the trees are covered with green pretty moss.  

Mossy Tree

Upon returning to our room, we had a lovely traditional Irish dinner at the hotel and settled in for the evening to get ready for our next big day at the Leckey Factory in Lisburn, Ireland.

Love,




Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

CBeebies in Ireland: Something Special

While reassuring ourselves that they boys had recovered from their morning illness, we toured our television programming options in search of children's shows.  We toured the guide and stumbled on CBeebies.  We turned it to the channel and were immediately surprised by what we seen.  Multiple children in wheelchairs with 5 point harnesses, gardening!  It was Mr. Tumble with star Justin Fletcher and his show, Something Special.   I was in awe.

We have your token child with special needs sprinkled occasionally on US television.  We all get excited when Sesame Street has a service dog or a child in a wheelchair.  And you might see these characters if you are lucky here and there, once a week... maybe once a month even.  It certainly isn't an everyday occurrence when you turn on the television for your children. 

Most of us are familiar with only a handful of differently-abled children's characters.  Here is a list that most of you may recognize:
Blindness

• Aristotle, Sesame Street
• Blind Pew, Muppet Treasure Island
• Skippy, Bear in the Big Blue House

Deafness

• Linda, Sesame Street
• Left Door Knocker (partial), Labyrinth
• Lois (partial), Bear in the Big Blue House
• Pops (partial), The Muppet Show
• World's Oldest Fraggle (partial, carries an ear horn), Fraggle Rock
• Old Fozziewig (partial, carries an ear horn), The Muppet Christmas Carol

Wheelchair users

• Ethyl Phillips, Dinosaurs
• Griotte, 5, Rue Sésame
• Katie, Sesame Park
• Ricardo, Talk, Listen, Connect
• Sivan, Rechov Sumsum
• Tarah, Sesame Street
• Traction Jackson, Sesame Street

Other

• Beggar (uses a crutch), The Muppet Christmas Carol
• Jason (Down syndrome), Sesame Street
• Kami (HIV positive), Takalani Sesame (also appears on Sesame Square and The Adventures of Kami and Big Bird)
• Long John Silver (amputee), Muppet Treasure Island
• Tiny Tim Cratchit (kidney disease or rickets), The Muppet Christmas Carol

Now imagine you turn on the television while you are traveling internationally with your child who has special needs to see this!

You'd be so in shock you'd take pictures just like we did.  Not what you see everyday, not certainly here in the US.   And it doesn't stop there.   We're watching bedtime stories with a narrator in a power wheelchair.   Yes, we took a picture of that too!

Inclusion feels very different in other places of the world.  I never would have known that if I hadn't experienced it for myself.  Not one time did a person stare at my child, not once was there a rude comment from anyone.  People on the street would stop us to speak directly to my child, even knowing he likely couldn't speak back.  I had likely found the closest feeling to normal that I've had in five years since Noah's birth.   Those types of things should be happening everywhere worldwide.   Our children need to be exposed to shows like what CBeebies is offering on a daily basis.   It helps teach acceptance and understanding at such an early age.  Not to mention the world of good it does for children with special needs to see themselves just like everyone else.  Cognitively, Noah understands everything, and he very much loved seeing other children like him on television.

I encourage you to read this article about Mr. Tumble (also known as Justin Fletcher) http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/mr-tumble-star-justin-fletcher-1271878

CBebbies also has a presenter Cerrie Burnell who has made a big impact in UK programming.  Her story equally inspiring and well worth the read:
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-24988596

Thank you CBebbies for making us feel so normal as a family as we cuddled that beautiful Ireland morning in our hotel. 

We are less when we don't include everyone.
Love,





Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Ireland Accommodations: Who Says There Is No Place Like Home?

The Park Inn Radisson in Belfast was quick to great us with a friendly hello.  We were given two sets of keys; for joining 2 rooms together, numbers 214 and 216.  They lovingly assisted us with our cumbersome luggage to our rooms.  The rooms were nicely decorated, warm and inviting.  When we reached the adjoining room, room number 216 we were simply in awe.   Our hosts arranged and rented a hospital bed for Noah for the hotel room we were staying in.  And not only did they rent this amazing bed for him, but the perfect air mattress that constantly had a flow of air to go with it to make sure he didn't receive any pressure sores from sleep.   The room also came with the biggest handicapped accessible bathroom I have likely ever seen.  It even had a emergency rope which we quickly realized Luke liked to pull.  When it's pulled it gets the front desk's attention immediately!

The hospital bed for Noah in the hotel

Noah's handicapped accessible bathroom in the hotel

And a blender to blend Noah's foods waited for us in the lobby of the hotel to pick up so that we could puree all of Noah's meals while in Ireland.  I love that little Tesco blender so much!  Fabulous product!  We set up Noah's room first lining his bed with pillows so his arms and legs didn't get stuck in the side rail bars.  Hotel housekeeping was so pleasant and helpful in offering us extra supplies and bedding to make up Noah's bed.  His dad had a twin bed and slept in the same room as Noah, while Luke and I slept in the same bed in the other room. 

The blender we used to make Noah's food

We settled in for the evening arriving late afternoon Belfast time.  We were so hungry and exhausted from the plane trip that we ordered room service, and went to bed by 6pm Belfast time.  Each bedroom had it's own temperature controls.  The room Noah and Chris were in was chilly and we had the hardest time converting Celsius to Fahrenheit - we were guessing and went from being really chilly to baked in an oven!  For the most part the boys slept well through the first night, however come early morning hours I thought I heard Luke with a case of the hiccups but upon closer listen he was actually heaving and getting ready to throw up.  I yanked him out of bed, carried him to the bathroom and laid him on a towel where he proceeded to throw up everywhere.  So not good I thought to myself.  Child number one is sick!  

Our first room service meal in Ireland

Chris gets up to see what is happening and no sooner than does he join us we hear Noah starting to get sick and throw up.  We too get him to the bathroom where he throws up on a towel all over the floor as well.  Child number two is sick!  Chris and I both look at each other, like this can't be happening.  We just got here!  How are we ever going to do anything with two sick children.  In my panic I contact our host, who is lovely and assures us he'll assist and find us a chemist if need be to help.   We cleaned up the boys and watched them for a while, determining that Noah's room was much to hot and we likely overheated him not knowing what Celsius temperatures were, which likely was the cause of his vomiting.  Luke we really aren't sure other than maybe jet lag or over exhaustion, but by mid-morning both boys were doing really well and had eaten breakfast and drink without any problems.  And were full of giggles and smiles.

Relieved that we had gotten both boys to feeling better we decided to watch a little television.  In order to give them just a little relax time we turned it to the children's channel called Cbeebies and we were delighted at the very first thing we seen...

Love,




Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Traveling to Belfast: The Purple People

First I just have to say thank goodness for kind people willing to lend you a helping hand while you are traveling with a child with special needs.  It would not have been possible without the cabin crew, flight attendants and even the pilots of our flights assisting us into our seats, offering to hold a child, strap in a car seat, put extra things in cabin storage and make us as comfortable as they could.  We flew British Airways the round trip and have nothing but positive things to say.  They made sure that all four of us were back to back seated or across the isle from each other so both parents could tend to Noah's needs on the long flight.  We both were worried about how Noah would do on a plane.  With his sensory issues we knew it was going to go really well, or really bad.  We just didn't know what to expect.  Surprisingly, Noah found take off exhilarating and turbulence a big party in the sky.  Wish I could say I shared his sentiments and didn't quite enjoy the feeling of dropping hundreds of feet periodically.  Luke did equally as well and simply sat very patiently and quietly in his seat often dozing through the night.   Noah however stayed up literally the entire night without so much as a blink! 

Our first layover was at Heathrow Airport in London. There was always an attendant who escorted us and our belongings during all transfers helping be our guide through the airport which was extremely necessary when we landed.  I have never experienced any airport like that ever!

Chris and I joked that Heathrow felt like being in a video game attempting to complete several different levels to get to the next stage of the game.  Bus here, bus there, and yet another bus...two customs checks, two checks of baggage, two scans of the wheelchair, two sets of pictures, and then a twenty minute walk to the next gate.  To say we were lost in Heathrow would be an understatement.  The really great thing is that all airport staff wear a really pretty royal purple and all you have to do is look for the Purple People (their real title is Heathrow Passenger Ambassadors) and you know they'll know how to help.  I also really loved how handicapped accessible things were upon arrival in London.  My first impression was that it was very much more handicapped friendly there than in the US.   They really in all honesty kind of pull out the red carpet for you.  The helped us by getting through shorter lines, fast tracking, and doing their best to make it as easy on us as possible. 

We scrambled to get to our next departure from Heathrow as had to be bussed off the plane arriving in from Denver, since the plane was unable to pull into a gate terminal, and they accidentally sent our handicapped bus away thinking we were already on it, when we were still trying to get off the plane.  Everyone was quite apologetic, but in the end the wait was just merely a handful of minutes and nothing that terribly inconvenient, and they let us sit in Club World while we waited for our bus, which is rather luxurious.  Can't say I minded too much!

When we finally got to our next terminal to depart from London to Belfast, there was a delay as the "Jetty" was not working.  I thought that was English terminology for the actual airplane not working which made me nervous when they said engineers were working on it before we flew!  Turns out it's the gadget that connects the walkway to the plane, so when I figured that out I felt a lot better, but the wait was over an hour.  The kids continued to do well even waiting and Noah has very little patience for waiting.   We gave him a drink and fed him while we waited.   And the pilot was so sweet and kind when it was time to board to Belfast.  He even installed our car seats for us so we could simply carry Noah aboard.  British Airways truly gets 5 stars. 

For some reason they had us listed as vegetarians for our flights so we experienced veggie meals on departure flights, which were fine and decent for airplane food.  Noah did have a mini breakdown due to exhaustion for being up for more than 24 hours without a nap and collapsed into a heap of cuddles my arms moment before take off from London to Belfast.  I told the crew I couldn't put him down and they simply put a special buckle around him and me and allowed us to take off that way.  Bless them!

The flight to Belfast to London seemed like a flash compared to the flight from Denver to London.   And once again an escort waited to help us gather our luggage and make arrangements to help us find our taxi ride to the hotel.   The taxi driver was so nice, and wanted to help in anyway he could.  On the drive to the hotel he made sure we were comfortable and told us all the sights of the city as he drove.   I tried to tip him after we reached our destination, but he declined and said "kindness is free here."  I wanted to cry.  As kindness in the US... well we tip for almost everything.  In fact the Super Shuttle that we took to the airport had the sign "Gratuity is not included in price" plastered several places within the vehicle.  It's expected in the US, for just about any kind of service.  

But he meant it, he wanted to help because he cared, not because there was something he expected in return.  My first impression of Ireland was one of love and kindness.  We walked through the doors of the Park Inn Radisson welcoming our adventures with open arms.  We had made it!

Love,



Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Belfast Blessings: Invitation to Ireland

One morning in January, I was laying in bed, listening to Noah breathe on the baby monitor after a long night of many sleep disturbances for Noah without cause or reason.  He was sleeping in, as was Luke who also can't sleep through Noah's noises and needs.  I turned on the television waiting for both children to awaken for the final time that morning and happened to watch whatever channel it first came to.  A movie titled P.S. I Love You was on.  I had seen it prior to Noah being born, but vaguely remembered it.  The premise of the movie is about a grieving widow that loses beloved husband to a brain tumor and learns that he left a series of letters behind to help her cope with the pain of living without him. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyHNmC1dq2c

These letters send her on a trip back to Ireland, her husband's native country.  And that's about the part of the movie I caught that January morning.  I remember thinking to myself, wow, it's so green, beautiful and soothing (even knowing it likely was fictional and maybe not even necessarily filmed there); it was the fantasy of how pretty it was - and something within my soul craved to be there.  I dismissed my feelings as just stemming from my mother's Irish heritage and maybe a slight fancy for the Irish dialect.  My mind wandered for a moment and then I wanted to slap myself silly... what are you thinking I thought?  You will never ever travel again now that you have a child with special needs, let alone to another country.   We had never been more than 40 miles in any direction from home since Noah's birth. 

Two weeks later fate, destiny, divine intervention,  power of intention... or whatever you'd call it happened.  An unexpected invitation was extended to take Noah to Ireland to participate in the launch of the Upsee, a piece of special needs equipment by Firefly a division of Leckey. It's one of those pinch me moments (I'm not wearing green)... is that really happening kind of thing.  But the invite was very real.   For the first time in our lives Chris and I really had to consider if a trip with a child like Noah was even realistic.   It didn't take us long to really come to the conclusion that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Noah and for us as a family.  And a chance to bring so much information to families with children with special needs.

One night Chris asked very seriously in fact, "Do Leprechauns come from Ireland."  I laughed and said, "well technically yes, but don't expect to find a pot of gold."  But if by chance I did find a wee Leprechaun and he granted me part of his gold, I'd help every child with special needs that I could find.

We scrambled to have passports expedited, figure out what we'd have to pack to take a child on an international trip; obtained doctor's letters, contacted TSA Cares, and made a checklist of all the things that were necessary in Noah's daily life.   At first it was a bit overwhelming, but it was really because we were charting unknown territories.  We were not experienced travelers - especially when it came to attempting to travel with a severely disabled child.  I questioned over and over again am I making the right decision?  Should we just never leave the boundaries of our home?  And then I received an unexpected message from a friend that had no idea we were getting ready to embark on a very long and special journey to Ireland.  It read:  "A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there."  It spoke to my soul and gave me the confirmation and reassurance that I was seeking.  We were meant to go.  We needed to grow.  

Two days later we boarded a plane from Denver to London, with a brief layover in London to Belfast, both directions.  Two carseats on rollers, two carry-on backpacks, two children, a wheelchair and junior rider seat to attach to the wheelchair, with three big bags of checked in luggage.  There we were blazing a trail through an airport on our very first journey from home.  Full of bravery and courage we walked down the gates to board the plane.

Love,




Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.