“It’s so easy to think that a problem like a child missing a goal is the end of the world. Our daughter Zoe has truly shown us a new perspective.”
Sean Posadas and Joni Fortini say they have been humbled by the experience of having a child with special needs. “She’s really opened our minds,” says Sean.
At 18 months they knew something was different about their daughter Zoe. After numerous tests they learned that Zoe was on the autism spectrum.
“It’s been a journey,” says Joni, “any parent faces challenges. We just happen to face a few different ones.”
As high school sweethearts, Sean and Joni are happy that they had a solid foundation set before Zoe was born.
“It’s a balancing act,” says Sean. “We don’t take each other for granted. It really has to be a team effort.”
Friends and family often express surprise and admiration that they have been able to maintain a solid marriage despite the challenges of raising a child with special needs. Often couples end up separated or divorced.
“All it takes is one person who’s not able to do their part,” says Joni. “It’s not easy.”
Sean and Joni are especially grateful for All In Need.
“It’s literally the only time we get to go out!” says Joni. “It keeps us sane to know that we have All in Need’s monthly respite sessions to look forward to.”
They appreciate the consistency that All in Need provides, as it’s common for other resources to not be as dependable.
“The three hours of alone time that All I Need provides us really feels like eight hours,” says Sean. “We’re just not used to having all that alone time! Usually we’re lucky if connect for a minute during a busy day.”
Plus, the best part for the couple is that Zoe is having fun during that time as well. It’s a win-win for the entire family.
Ease of use doesn’t hurt either.
“We love that All In Needs’ program is set up on a subscription through PayPal. It’s seamless. We don’t have much time in our days, so it’s helpful that All In Need has taken an extra step to make things easier for us,” says Sean. “I remember the first time we dropped Zoe off. We weren’t sure what to expect. By the second or third time it felt like we were leaving her with family.”
Sean and Joni would like to see more people take advantage of All In Need.
“We love having All In Need in our lives,” says Joni. “We unfortunately don’t have the luxury of being able to go out once a week. All In Need helps make the time we spend together feel that much more special. Other couples should consider doing the same. It’s only when parents spend some time focusing on themselves that they can give kids the support they need.”
All in Need needs your help!
With your support, we can find more families like Sean and Joni’s to help. This email kicks off our first ever Annual Giving Campaign for the 2015-16 school year. Our plan this year is to continue providing an enriching curriculum for the children that attend Respite and to increase the number of families we’re able to serve.
We are hoping we can count on your support. Your contribution is fully tax-deductible and several payment options are available. We appreciate all donations and recognize all our contributors. Our success depends on the generosity of the community.