Welcome to Spirit Magazine

Fall 2008 Vol 7 / No. 1

Yedei Chesed is a contract agency certified by the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

We appreciate your feedback on articles and topics in this or previous issues.
Please submit your opinion to

Focus on our Feedback
C/O Spirit! Magazine
20 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 214 Monsey, NY 10952
or fax to 1.845.425.7853,
email editor@spiritmag.org

Dear Editor,

I am a mother of a child with a congenital heart defect. I have seen your magazine in the stores for quite some time already, but never picked it up, as I didn’t want to be seen handling a magazine geared for families of children with special needs. I always considered my child’s heart defect – just that, a defect, that will hopefully be corrected with multiple surgeries.

When I saw the winter 2008 issue cover feature a story titled “Mending a broken heart”, I figured that this might actually pertain to me. I bought the magazine and spent the next couple of hours reading in bed. I read it cover to cover and reread many of the articles more than once. I must thank Yoseffa Chana Basher for her most inspiring article. Your strength and spirit comes through with each word. Your love for your child is so obvious. My child does not have Down syndrome, yet I could relate to so much that was written. What a heartwarming article! I cried as I reminisced about our own surgical journey. I was in shock to find an ad for an organization geared specifically to congenital heart defects. Thanks to your cover story, I was put in touch with the right support for my child.

Special Thanks,
Anonymous

Dear Editors of Spirit!

Thanks so much for including an article on environment modifications. In the past, every time I searched through articles on modifying a home, all I ever found was modifications for a physically disabled child. My child has autism, and safety is a big concern in our home. Each and every tip noted in the article was helpful to my child and our family.

Thank you for an excellent magazine. We look forward to, and enjoy each issue.

B. R.
Brooklyn, NY

Dear Esther Fried, (Author of Special Needs – Winter 2008)!

Your article touched upon a point I make every time I talk about my special needs child. We sometimes get so caught up in dealing with our special needs child, that we fail to realize that each and every one of our children really have needs that are special.

In my case, my daughter has cerebral palsy. She is wheelchair-bound and needs assistance with all her physical care. Those are very obvious special needs, which cannot be ignored. My son, on the other hand, needs help with learning. My older daughter needs lots of attention, and my husband – let’s not even go there…

Your article made me smile, and I was glad to see someone share my feelings.

Ch.W.
Lakewood, NJ

Dear Editors,

The article “Recreating Hopes and Dreams, by L. Rappaport, which appeared Volume 6 – Issue 2 – was a most beneficial story.

I am not the parent of a child with special needs Baruch Hashem, but a very close friend of mine recently gave birth to a child with major medical issues.

I bought the magazine to give her as a gift, but found myself reading it cover to cover. This particular article was such an eye opener to me. L. Rappaport wrote about her friends who came into her home and asked to be trained to care for her child. She mentioned how that made such a difference in her life.

After reading this, I picked myself up and walked over to my friend’s house. I walked in and asked her if she had a nurse at the time. She then told me how little coverage she had, only three days a week, although she is approved for 16 hours daily.

I asked her if she would mind training me to help her with her child. She looked at me in disbelief and hugged me tight. I stayed for two hours learning about suctioning, tube feeding and how to give medications. Two days later, I called and asked if I could babysit so that she could go out with her husband. I was nervous, but knew they were just around the corner eating out for the first time since their child was born.

For months I had no clue what the right approach should be. Thanks to your magazine, I got the right tip on how to help my friend.

Thank you,
N.M. - Via email

Dear Editor,

I would love to get in touch with L. Rappaport. That article could’ve been written by me, as I could relate to so much of her story.

Is there any way I can get in touch with the author?

Editors note: Contact our office at 845-425-0887. We will try to contact the author and see if she is comfortable giving out her phone number.

Thank you for the article “Asperger Grows Up. (Winter 2008 – page 82) I am a father of both a 28 year-old, and an 8 year-old with autism. The article helped me understand many of my adult child’s behavior and issues. Thank you,

Steven K.
California

Thank you Tziri Frank for your humor. Your articles help me try to find humor in raising my own special needs child. Keep them coming!

T.S.
Monsey, NY

Spirit! thanks all of our readers for their letters and comments. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for content and/or space, and will withhold your name upon request. Due to the large number of mail, we cannot print all letters received, but appreciate your feedback nonetheless.