Orange Socks Interview and How Collaborative Corner Began
In November 2019, my family and I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Orange Socks. Orange Socks is a non-profit organization that strives to bridge the gap between the life parents thought they would have and the one that parents are blessed with. They are a special needs parent community and their mission is to help families find a new normal as they navigate through the grief that comes when they’re told that their little one will be exceptional.
Throughout the interview process, we were asked a variety of questions that allowed us the chance to share our story, from beginning until now, including the stages of grief we went through as parents, but also the incredible joys we have experienced. We are so proud of how far Trent has come and are excited to see where this journey takes him. He has been an active participant in all discussions, as his opinion is important to us and we feel that it is beneficial for him to be able to understand and express his emotions.
Our hope is that this summary of our interview provides other families with encouragement and empowerment. We hope that other families know they are not alone and that there are many hills and valleys throughout the journey of parenting a child with exceptional needs. We feel strongly that parents should have the education, resources, and support to be able to advocate for themselves and their child, but also show their child how to advocate for himself or herself.
Thank you Orange Socks for sharing our story and for supporting both my family and Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children as we all work together to help families and children with exceptional needs.
You can read more about our story on the Orange Socks website below, as well as listen to our interview on their podcast.
Jessica and Jonathan: Growth Hormone Deficiency
The full length interview can be accessed here.
Thank you to our family, friends, Panelists, and the incredible exceptional needs community we are forming together as Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children continues to grow and thrive!
—Jessica and Jonathan Barisano