From the moment we met, we were drawn to each other’s kindness and compassion, especially towards those often marginalized by society. As students at Utah State University, our paths crossed and intertwined, leading to shared experiences that foreshadowed our future together. One day, a sign for a special needs dance caught our attention, and instinctively we knew it was something we would appreciate. Attending the dance, our warmth and genuine connection with everyone there hinted at the integral role such experiences would play in our lives.
Our journey took a deeper turn when we married and welcomed our daughter, Brynlee, into the world, followed by the anticipation of our first son. We dreamt of the adventures and milestones ahead with our growing family, our excitement palpable. However, the joyous arrival of our son was accompanied by unexpected news — a diagnosis of Down syndrome that shook the very foundations of our expectations and fears, casting a shadow of uncertainty over our future.
Despite the initial shock and fear, this pivotal moment marked the beginning of a profound transformation for us. It propelled us into a life of advocacy, learning, and an unyielding commitment to embrace the challenges and celebrate the unique joys of raising children with special needs. Our experiences, enriched by love, resilience, and community, became the cornerstone of our mission to support and empower other families navigating similar paths.
Navigating Nash’s early years felt like an endless quest to unlock the best resources and support for his growth and development. We found ourselves entrenched in a routine of medical tests, therapy sessions, and specialist appointments, all while balancing the needs of our growing family. The arrival of our third child intensified our daily juggle, demanding more from us as parents and advocates.
The diagnosis of 22q Deletion Syndrome for Ridge was a devastating blow, compounding the complexity of our situation. Confronting this new reality, we wrestled with feelings of helplessness and concern for both Nash’s and Ridge’s futures. As Nash grew, the disparities between him and his peers became more pronounced, fueling our internal struggle with worry and the societal pressure of defining his abilities.
School added another layer of complexity, revealing a system with priorities sometimes misaligned with Nash’s best interests. Navigating the intricacies of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) often felt more adversarial than collaborative, a stark contrast to our hopes for a supportive educational environment. Meanwhile, Nash’s unique challenges, like his disinterest in potty training, demanded constant attention, turning our daily life into an exhaustive cycle of care and cleanup.
Amid these challenges, the weight of Ridge’s diagnosis and its long-term implications loomed large, casting a shadow over our family life. Despite the joy and love Nash brought into our lives, the relentless demands of our situation often left us feeling like survival was our only option. It was a grueling period, marked by love, struggle, and the relentless pursuit of a semblance of normalcy for our family.
When Nash was five, we relocated our family from Idaho to Utah, embarking on a significant new chapter in our lives. Facing the unknown in a new city, we were met with the challenges of settling into unfamiliar surroundings, adapting to a more demanding job, and forming new social connections. During one particularly stressful evening, after returning from work to a quiet and disheveled home, we noticed Andrea’s weariness. We decided she should attend a neighborhood gathering to relax and hopefully forge new friendships. Meanwhile, absorbed in an urgent work call, we lost track of time and, unfortunately, of Nash as well.
The distressing realization that Nash had gone missing plunged us into panic. When Andrea returned with him, her face etched with a blend of relief and frustration, it underscored the reality of our precarious situation in the new community. This incident, occurring just a week after our move, starkly exposed the vulnerabilities of our family as newcomers.
This intense episode of fear and responsibility led us to a decisive commitment. We resolved to go beyond the mere act of surviving, seeking a deeper, more sustainable way to navigate our journey. This commitment became the cornerstone for establishing CaringTide, with the aim of supporting and empowering families like ours, transforming personal trials into a collective source of strength, support, and hope for a better future.
The struggle to survive, a common fear among many, often casts a shadow over daily life, straining relationships and pushing emotional well-being to its limits. However, through our journey, we learned that this doesn’t have to be the norm.
In the years that followed our lowest point, life began to change in ways neither of us could ever have imagined. It felt like a long-awaited sunrise was breaking through the dark horizon that had shrouded our family’s journey. Gradually, we uncovered answers and gained a new perspective that shifted our view of the daunting path we faced. What once seemed filled with fear and uncertainty began to brighten with hope and potential.
Over time, we have gained invaluable insights that transformed our perspective on life and family. These experiences didn’t just change how we viewed the world; they propelled us into a larger cause, bringing forth miraculous moments. One such miracle was expanding our family, embracing children with unique needs and stories, much like our own sons. In 2016, we adopted Cooper from China, another beautiful child with Down syndrome, enriching our lives further.
In 2019, we ventured into fostering, which led us to adopt Willow and Olivia, two wonderful girls with severe ADHD and complex histories, in 2022. Our journey of love and acceptance didn’t stop there. In 2023, we welcomed four siblings from Colombia, who had spent years in foster care, into our bustling, ever-growing family. Our home became a melting pot of cultures, languages, and shared lives, teaching us all about resilience, unity, and the beauty of diversity.
The insights and experiences we gathered in our lives have became the cornerstone of the guidance we now offer to others. These lessons not only reshaped our family’s existence but also became a beacon for other families nationwide, inspiring a collective shift from mere survival to genuine thriving.
This journey has shown us that the principles we live by can indeed open doors and create opportunities, not just for our adopted children but for anyone willing to embrace this path. While we don’t expect everyone to follow in our exact footsteps, we firmly believe that these principles can unlock potential and dreams within families, providing a path to a richer, more fulfilling life for all involved.