A gift for Evan

Hi friends and family. This is rather untraditional and a bit uncomfortable for me since I rarely ask for help. But, I figured it can’t hurt.

People often ask me what they can do to help. I typically don’t have ideas to offer because we often don’t know how to help Evan ourselves. As most of you have witnessed over the years, things are never easy. They are only becoming more difficult as he’s getting older. And he’s not been in the best of health lately either. In my discussions with school, DD board, friends, and family we’ve found ourselves at a loss for what Evan will do this summer and where he will be. There are varying factors, all of which are complicated to explain. But, in my search for a viable summer option, I’ve come to the conclusion that he will likely be forced to be at home with me.

When Evan is home he mostly lays around and watches the same music videos over and over. He doesn’t have many toys and doesn’t care for them all that much. He’s 14 and although he is Autistic, I know he wants more out of life. I know he wants to get out more as well, clearly since he tries to run away frequently. He’s bored and it breaks my heart. I’m not giving him the best quality of life that he deserves.

I’m SO blessed to be able to work from home. That, in and of itself, is a gift so I’m able to care for him. But, it limits what I’m able to do for him, especially because I am confined to my home office. For weeks I’ve been pondering how to ask for help and, what for. Several times a week, whether we are sitting in the living room, driving by a memorable spot, or out of the blue Evan will say, “you gonna go swimming?” This is his way of asking if we can go swimming. Swimming is his FAVORITE. He could spend all day in the water. He’s actually a very good swimmer without ever having lessons. Not only is it fun for him, but it keeps him physically active and is therapeutic for him as well. Although we have many options for weekend swims, it would be SUCH a life changing gift for him to have a pool in his own backyard for daily use. He would be entertained while I work, obviously being closely monitored, of course.

I’ve been doing a lot of research and it’s certainly not cheap to maintain. I understand that. I am just hoping to gather enough to get it up and running. If you’re able to help monetarily that is fantastic and we would be FOREVER grateful. If you can’t, that’s totally ok and understandable. All I ask is that you share this post.

As always, I appreciate the continued love, support, well wishes, and prayers you have all offered. Thank you for reading.