We decided to get our yorkie Willow as a therapy dog for our PANDAS daughter when she was struggling with reading. Months later my husband and I realized how much therapy we each ended up receiving from her as well .... comfort, a reason to make us exercise together, and tons of comic relief. Here is a link to a great article I found about the first therapy dog (also a yorkie!) .... Therapy Dogs Change Lives.
We recently rescued another fur baby...Piper! This way I won't get as jealous when Willow wants to snuggle with someone else. :)
I was listening to the radio when they casually mentioned before playing one of Sam Smith's songs that he has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Naturally that caught my attention being the parent of a child who has battled OCD along with PANDAS for years now. I did a quick web search and sure enough the fact was confirmed on this video by Sam himself along with some other forms of anxiety.
So why did I find this exceptional when there are plenty of people out there with this problem? Prior to knowing this I was already absorbed by the reality presented in Sam's art through the honesty of his lyrics and the emotion inflicted in his voice. When I listen to music I want to *feel* something and his music far exceeds this expectation.
One song in particular that I wanted to highlight as a PANDAS parent was In The Lonely Hour. In this I hear the voice of our children who desperately need us there for them as they endure these horrid moments PANDAS forces into their lives. Anyone who has dealt with any level of depression knows that it is possible to feel lonely in the most crowded of rooms. Our children sit in overfilled classrooms with rarely one soul that understands what they are going through. I think of all the hours my daughter has cried and as her mother I was lost in how to comfort her...what to say or do. Now I know what I did or said will not be what my daughter remembers, it will be that I was there with her in those lonely hours. I respect Sam Smith's bravery in opening his heart to us all and thank him for giving our children a humanized celebrity whom offers absolute empathy.
Be sure to spread awareness this October! Check out pandasnetwork.org for more info.
My daughter and I will be participating in the Ohio Awareness Walk on the 25th. Here is the link if you would like to join our team or make a donation... Team Gibbs.
I keep this picture, as sad as it is, to remind me of how far my daughter has come in her battle with PANDAS. She was like this everyday for over a year, crying for no reason and fighting me as I tried to help her. A terrible way to spend even a moment of your childhood.
