On July 2, an Indiana mother opened the letter she had dreaded. Medicaid had denied the waiver services her son depended on for nursing care. Her choices were unthinkable: quit her job to provide care full-time or risk her child’s health without the support they’d been promised. This is what “policy change” looks like—not in…
The whiteboard squeaked beneath my marker: “What makes a great leader?” The answers came quickly—bold, confident, brave, honest, funny. Year after year, classroom after classroom, the words changed—but the pattern stayed the same. The one word I believed mattered most—listening—never made the board. Why is that? We often define leadership by volume. Big voices. Big…
The Big Beautiful Cost of Medicaid Cuts There are moments when policy becomes personal. This is one of them. Medicaid cuts in Indiana are no longer theoretical—they are active, expansive, and alarming. These aren’t just budget adjustments. These are structural decisions that will affect how we educate, how we care, how we feed, and how…
I still remember where I was sitting when my brother told me he was gay. We were teenagers—just beginning to find our footing in a world that rarely explained itself to us. Growing up in the Midwest in the 1980s, I lived in a bubble of sorts. We were surrounded by cornfields, church pews, and…
In this heartfelt post, Marya reflects on her journey in raising her two sons following her younger son’s autism diagnosis. With years of perspective, she shares honest insights and helpful resources for families and siblings walking a similar path. I want to begin this post in full transparency. I didn’t do it perfectly. In fact,…
I didn’t set out to be an advocate. I was just a mom trying to get my son what he needed—a quiet place to regroup, a teacher who understood, a little more time to get from here to there. But what started as a conversation turned into a calling. Because every time I spoke up,…
A reflection on what it means to hold onto hope when the systems we trust begin to unravel—and how our belief in what is possible must carry us forward. Hope is not always easy. I almost didn’t write this post. I sat in stillness, unsure whether I had the right words—or the emotional stamina—to speak…
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to pause, reflect, and advocate for what so often goes unseen. This year, I want to speak directly to families like ours—families living the daily reality of invisible differences and disabilities. Because unless you’ve lived it, it’s hard to understand how heavy invisible battles can be—and how deeply…
The other day, I had the privilege of walking through a space I never knew I needed—a quiet sanctuary tucked within the heart of a bustling airport. As I stepped into the Indianapolis International Airport Sensory Room, I felt something rare and sacred: my family was seen. And it just felt right. That moment came…
April is here—and my heart is full. Full of pride. Full of hope. Full of fire. Because Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month is more than a calendar event—it’s a living, breathing movement. It’s the heartbeat of families like mine. It’s the courageous voice of self-advocates. It’s the tireless work of organizations and creators who are…