Have you ever been out for a meal or in a drive thru line and when you attempt to pay for your order you find out that someone else has done it for you?
Not in a can I buy you a drink? sort of way but in a, it feels really good to brighten someone’s day sort of way.
Changes your whole outlook on the day and the people out there in the world doesn’t it?
This Autism Awareness Month has been especially rough. Not inside our home. Our autism is the same in April as it is May-March.
But out there… because of new numbers coming out, the stories of horrendous bullying, the people who feel alone with their disorder and the 90 new studies that come out each April finding causes for autism that seem aimed solely at making parents feel guilty.
So back to my giving-back-to-make-someone’s-day point.
I get to do it.
Did you know that there is someone out there called The Fairy Hobmother? Well he/she/it offered me the chance to give one of my readers a $75 Amazon gift card. Just because.
All you have to do is be a special needs parent and tell me what you would do with $75 from the Fairy Hobmother. This isn’t a competition, you don’t have to be the most in need or come up with an insanely creative comment. You just need to leave one and cross your fingers that someone out there is going to pick up the check for you today.
Edited to add: Since posting this today, another blogger has asked if they could also give a $25 gift card to some as an act of kindness. Can I just say I love people right now?? Because I do.
And please, please, please, if you are planning on sending me a picture for the Autism Awareness slideshow email it to me (fourplusanangel@gmail.com) or post it to my facebook wall by this Saturday. Thank you!!!!!
Good luck!
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People can be *really* nice and it’s always so heart warming and reassuring when you come across one. Great gifts.
If I had a $75 Amazon.com gift card, I would buy another remote control helicopter for my son and his dad to play with. We have had two already and they are both broken after countless hours of laughter and play. 🙂
I just found you today and I’m not sure if the contest is still open but I figured it’s worth a shot 🙂
I would use the $75 to buy a new case for our iPad. My son Jack is Autistic and loves, loves, loves to play on it but he’s been sick a lot recently and we’ve seen regression in some motor skills (nothing crazy, just more clumsy than usual). Because of that he’s dropped the IPad twice in the last two weeks and two of the current cases corners are broken. Needless to say, we need a new case and they’re so darn expensive!
I don’t want to be entered in the contest (even though I’m a special needs mom). I just wanted to say this is awesome. What a generous sole.
Fingers crossed 🙂
This isn’t for me, but for my neighbor. She is a single mother of 3 great kids. Her oldest has Aspergers…he’s 13 and he is a delight. I’m not sure what she would do with the money, undoubtedly something for her kids. That is OK…she deserves to do something without the worry of how it will effect her budget. Thank you for being so thoughtful!
Oh Jessica, what a wonderful opportunity!
$75 would put a dent in Maddy’s speech therapy…but its Amazon, so maybe a birthday present or two.
You are a gift!
I watched that video of the man who wired his son yesterday… wow. There is not much more to say. There were tears in my eyes as I watched it.
I am so glad that you are out there bringing awareness to all these challenges that families face. I may not be parent of a special needs child – but I absolutely love learning through you and your perspective. Thanks for that.
Wow – this would be such a treat! I think I would split it between my 3 kids and get something for them all because the NT siblings are awesome! It would be nice to treat them all to something just because someone wanted to bless us! Thanks for all you do, Jessica!
Jessica – No one has ever paid for my coffee ,but the year our triplets were born an anonymous donor had a Christmas tree, gifts and a case of diapers delivered just two weeks before Christmas. What a blessing! We were still so busy trying to feed and diaper 3 infants and a toddler that we hadn’t put much thought into Christmas. It was amazing to know that someone out there wanted to help and make things a little easier for us! If I had $75 dollars I would put it toward some really great water toys for my two autistic sons (and their brother and sister too)! They are always their happiest when we are playing in the water!
They must be loving the lake! Water toys would be perfect.
I would put it toward a new digital camera. Mine is 5 years old, and the shutter speed is so slow it takes me about 15 tries to get a photo of the girls that actually shows them smiling or laughing or making whatever funny face they’re making, because I have to time it just right. Or maybe I’d buy an espresso machine so I could make my own lattes. Not too sure. =)
Oh, and even though you know, just in case I win so every one knows it’s legit, my daughter is 3 and has cerebral palsy.
Ooh a camera or coffee, totally tough choice.
What a wonderful gift! My family doesn’t qualify, but I am thrilled that a family that does will have wonderful prize.
I remember the first time I was in the Starbucks drive thru and was told that my drink had been paid for by the person a head of me. After that time I started doing it as well.
Well lets see if I was given 75 I would put it towards the new support beam that my daughters sensory swing needs. Since we moved our new home won’t support the weight of it so we need to buy a self standing bar for it.
My daughter loved her swing in our old house but hasn’t wanted it up since we moved. I bought someone a coffee the other day because he was the first one who finally let me in in a long line of cars. Feels good to do it doesn’t it?
hmmm, $75 Amazon gift card? – what an awesome spurge! I honestly don’t know what I would get but my boys would enjoy picking out something special out. Jonathan in particular, since he’s been on medical leave from school – staying home and being isolated from all his friends has been hard. So thankful to the Fairy Hobmother for offering such a fun giveaway!
My son doesn’t have special needs but my sister is a mom of a special needs little girl, I’ll share your giveaway with her, she would be so glad about it!
Wow. Just wow! How amazing. I have a 9 year old with Prader Willi syndrome and a host of other special needs. This post and the generousity from 3 amazing people warmed my heart today. I wish there were more people like this in the world. Thank you. Just thank you.
Whoopsy, forgot to tell you what I would do with the money. I would use it towards my son’s private school tuition because the cost is pretty much killing us right now.
Well, it would really make my day to win this. Gosh what to do with it? If I were thinking of my son I would say maybe a weighted blanket, or something to focus on when he is frustrated (like a stress ball?) or heck I might indulge in one of his many interests (music, reading or Rescue Heroes). If I decide for me I could use something scandalous like, er, perfume? Something neat for the patio? I don’t know!!!! 🙂
People are always telling me that I should play the lottery…
I seem to fall often in the category of “that’s against the odds”. I mean really what are the odds of having twins with one twin having Down syndrome? What are the odds of that twin having the really rare form of Mosaic Down syndrome? What are the odds that that same child had not 1 but 2 severe heart defects qualifying him for a heart transplant? What are the odds that that child would also fall on the Autism Spectrum? What are the odds that I also got diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 32? What are the odds that I would lose our daughter to a placental abruption and experience her stillbirth? What are the odds?!
With my uncanniness for falling into the extreme minority, I figure at some point this has got to play to my favor… So, today, I’m laying it all out there and I’m “playing the lottery”! 😉
I would purchase a new travel carryon bag because when I win the lottery (what are the odds?!) I need to be ready to travel!!
Oh wow, Bethany, I feel your pain on many levels. My own health has not been affected but we have had one odd after another played against us. So hard to not ask why isn’t it? I guess it is better that, for the most part, we don’t have a minute to sit and think about it all too much.
What an awesome gift! Thank you so much!
What an awesome gift! I am the mother of a 10yo with Aspergers and also a 1yo NT child. This past year has been rough for my big kid with all of the changes of going from an only child to a big brother and I would love to be able to get him something special!
I would use the $75 Amazon Gift Card to purchase the book Babies with Down Syndrome for my pediatricians office so that he can give them to parents just recieving a Ds diagnosis. Currently, in my county in Maryland there are no copies of this book even in the library system, we are hoping to remedy this by donating some books. Recently, we have started a journey/mission if you will to create awareness in our town. Bridgie’s Brigade is on fb and we are currently raising money for Best Buddies International. Our yard sale this past weekend raised over $800 for Best Buddies. I am currently compiling a resource list of books about Down Syndrome for new parents.
I am the mother of Bridgie, 2, who has Down syndrome.
That is so awesome! I wanna be a fairy hobmother when I grow up. If I had $75 to amazon right now, I’d put it towards some chewy tubes for Caleb and P90X for me and the hubs. In the year since the diagnosis, I think I’ve been eating my feelings and I’m so ready to make a change. I have to. It’s getting harder and harder to physically handle my growing boy. I need to get strong and healthy. I’m ready.
I’m not the mom of a special needs child so for me to fully understand what you and others go through is hard, but I learn a bit more every time I read your blog and I think that what you’re doing to help spread awareness and support others is great.