>
> All in all, this topic causes me to wonder how families who have children
> with disabilities fare in this regard.  Do parents on the list feel as
though
> they have the support of their respective "villages?"

We found that most of our 'village' jumped ship (love mixing metaphors) when
Evan was born.  When our first child was born, we were inundated with gifts
and checks for his college fund.  To date, there is $10 in Evan's college
fund.  I guess most of our extended families and friends assume he's
retarded.  And not many offer help.  Last year, when Evan was needing 24
hour care and I fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into an innocent
stranger, lots of these helpful folk exhorted me to get more sleep.  Not one
offered to come sit for a few hours so I could.

What I have found is that you must build your own village.  People who were
total strangers to us a year ago are now in contact on a weekly basis.  And
if you need to build a village, best to do it during the good times - you
don't have time when things get rough.

Dianne
Mom to Reese 7 nda and Evan 2 spastic triplegia fundo gtube