Siblings
Day 24 of a 30-day series originally published for Facebook April 2021. This is another post that didn’t transfer over to a blog format very well. In the original post, I shared a link to Elijah’s Retreat Facebook page that included some photos. I didn’t feel comfortable sharing photos of someone else’s child so I’ve chosen to copy/paste the written text and keep the link, but remove the photos of my friend’s children riding horses and petting farm animals. I plan to write a more detailed post regarding Siblings soon, but for now, this is a great family resource for those in the TX, OK, LA areas.
Today I wanted to share an amazing resource right here in Texas for ASD families. A friend and fellow autism mom, talks about her family's experience with Elijah's Retreat, and her words resonated so much with me, so I'm posting them below. What she says is so true... M's siblings allow him to be a little brother, a big brother, a friend, a protector, a peer, a cheerleader... and they accept him fully as he is because he is their brother. A sibling relationship is beautiful, but it also requires those siblings too, at times, understand more than they should, or be more mature than they are, and it's important to care for those needs as well.
“Check out my little rodeo stars If you know us, you know that we absolutely LOVE Elijah’s Retreat. This place has been the biggest blessing. I love how they support the entire family and include the siblings in all the activities. It is so rare and so important that siblings be embraced and included because they are the life lines for kids on the spectrum!
Elijah’s retreat is the most peaceful place we have ever taken our kids to. Our son can be himself, have a safe place to explore, and most importantly a safe place to do things out of his comfort zone. Because of Elijah’s Retreat we learned that Trace loves horses- something we never thought to even try with him! The staff are absolutely wonderful in every way and my kids ask daily when we are going back!” - Alexa Watt
Elijah's Retreat served 200 families and over 400 kids with autism. As Elijah's Retreat grows we need to improve our playgrounds and provide more sensory opportunities for older kids. The second playground needs to be fenced-in and the falling down swing set needs to be replaced. We need your help to finish our fundraising efforts to improve the playgrounds for these amazing families.
Elijah's Retreat has 100% Board Support for East Texas Giving Day and $14,050 in Matching Funds to make the repairs and fix the Playgrounds!!!
Your donation, no matter how small, truly impacts families facing autism in a meaningful way. The next time your child gives you a big hug remember that your donation helped another family build a priceless memory!
Donate Today to help rebuild the playgrounds!
Siblings are first and best friends
