People often think of the Elderly when discussing Caregiving and end of life. But there are parents, who give birth to a child, discovering their precious child will need lifelong care and have challenges they were not expecting. This sets us off on a journey we never imagined and often feels isolating and frightening. There are countless families and individuals living with extra challenges. On this episode of Healing Ties we visit with Lois Swope, as she shares her story of caring for her daughter Karly who was born with Rett syndrome; Karly blog, music and story continues to inspire all of us! Listen in and learn how Lois Swope is creating Healing Ties by sharing sharing their life story. Stick around until the end where you’ll hear a track from Karly’s CD In My Own Voice!
You Might Know Me As The Bow Tie Guy - "Wearing a bow tie is like wearing two smiles."
When people ask me, "why did you create the Whole Care Network"... I always come back to our caregiving experience and how fortunate I was to find resources that helped me and my partner Richard Schiffer manage our caregiving journey. Every caregiver has a story; through our stories, we find validation, resources, and respite to help manage our caregiving day.
We were fortunate to have our story chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-nominated 3-part story, “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey,” which told our journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy my partner Richard's last years had on our relationship.
