Milestone Moments

This week’s inspiration comes from two milestone moments, so important because:

Milestones give us the opportunity to reflect, reassess, and recharge for the road ahead.

Yesterday was a milestone moment for me. On February 12, 1997 I woke up with strange shooting sensations in my legs that signaled the onset of transverse myelitis, a rare inflammation of the spinal cord that affects one in one million.

In six hours, I was paralyzed.

Life with paralysis has been hard, very hard. And yet, my needs have fueled unparalleled growth. I was thirty-eight years old. I’d been divorced nine days. My kids were three, four, six, and nine years old. Learning how to manage my newly-configured body as well as how to parent from the wheelchair launched me into a straight-up learning curve.

Madison, my daughter with autism, did not speak. My job as her mom was to be the master interpreter of her gestures, cries, tantrums and moods. It was exhausting.

Weeks after my paralysis, a scrunched-up yellow flyer in her school backpack changed my life once more. The invitation was to the home of Polly and B. J. Surhoff. Polly hosted a gathering to share information about a new autism therapy that was helping their son Mason, one of Madison’s classmates.

At the meeting, I learned about a new therapy and tried it with Madison. Unbelievably, she responded and started to speak, mastering her name, address, phone number, colors, and shapes within weeks.

We weren’t the only parents to experience these happenstance stories. A small group of us began to meet regularly. We wanted to help each other learn all the useful things we had discovered for ourselves. Within three years, in February 2000, our small group founded Pathfinders for Autism, a nonprofit directed at improving the lives of individuals with autism and their families that now regularly serves more than 20,000 individuals each year.

Our offerings include:

• Safety Programs – First Responders Training, Law Enforcement, Water Safety.

• Recreation Activities – Family outings designed for the autism community.

• Autism Resource Center – A hub where anyone can access valuable information online or over the phone.

• Training/Education – Healthcare professionals, Parent/Caregiver workshops on topics including financial planning, behavior intervention, sensory processing.

Last week, we announced the launch of an incredible milestone—Pathfinders for Autism’s 25th anniversary!

What a journey!

Despite our limitations, Madison and I have flourished—but only because of the faithful support and generosity of family, friends, caregivers, and professionals who’ve helped guide us on our paths of adversity and discovery.

We are loved, and we know it! Thanks to all who have journeyed alongside us and encouraged us.

Indeed, milestones offer a chance to reflect, reassess, and recharge. But at their best:

Milestones can serve as a powerful launching pad for journey yet to come.

It’s the perfect time to fortify ourselves for the miles ahead.

Want the full scoop? Polly and I share our story below. So grateful for her bold generosity that keeps on giving far beyond that little yellow flyer. CLICK TO PLAY:

P.P.S. Want to support the important work of Pathfinders? From leadership gifts to ticketed celebrations or even another purchase of Morning Fuel, your gift will help this milestone moment become a launching pad to strengthen our reach and deepen our impact with and for the autism community.