In the very first guest blog submission on www.angelmanswings.com, a strong and passionate Angel mom from the west coast of the U.S.A. shares her mental journey from diagnosis day to the present day.  

"I was frozen. My heart. My mind. My thoughts. My dreams. Frozen."

...when we got my son's diagnosis. I went numb. I know people have used this term before in a different sense, like they couldn't feel. I went numb in a sense that I was frozen. My heart. My mind. My thoughts. My dreams. Frozen. My son would stay this infantile thing and would not be able to move forward in life. We would be stuck in diapers and hospitals. And honestly. I was angry. I was angry, because I wasn't a bad person. I prayed, I paid taxes, I took my prenatal vitamins and I didn't drink or do drugs. Yet, God had given me a broken child with developmental delays and guess what?! seizures too!! I hit the jack pot. I don't sound nice and that's fine, because I was frozen, remember. 

"I snapped out of it... we will adjust."

A couple weeks later, I snapped out of it.  My son's father sat me down and said, "He's not dying. His organs are strong.  His life is just going to be different, and we will adjust." It was that moment, those simple words, and I knew I had somebody on my team, and he wasn't going anywhere. I needed that reassurance - and I'll admit - I believe some people do. I know I did. I didn't want to fight alone, I didn't want to cry alone. And, I definitely didn't want to raise my son alone. 

"Showed us how to fly with our hearts."

My son is 3 years old, and I honestly feel he couldn't be more perfect for me and my family. He doesn't walk, but he gets around.  He doesn't talk, but he sure tells us what he wants.  He doesn't write or draw, but he can gesture his feelings. We don't use the word normal in our home - nobody is "normal" - we create our own normal. My son isn't a typical kid, and I'm blessed, because, if he was, he wouldn't have showed us how to fly with our hearts. 

"A future that looks so bright."

Angelman Syndrome isn't a sickness or a disease - it's our challenge that we face head on.  My family and I have climbed every mountain that has come upon us.  My team has continued to grow, and my parents play a huge role in my son's success and future - a future that looks so bright. The positive people that my parents are have really lifted my spirits and my mind. They don't treat their grandson, my son, like a diagnosis and, for that, I am so grateful. 

It's easy to cut people out of your life if they hurt you. Imagine if your best friend couldn't be there for you when, you needed her more than anything. Imagine if your closest childhood cousin stopped talking to you because she "just didn't know how to act around you". Cowards. Yet, the people that remained unwavered and continue to invite my son to birthday parties and play dates, well, they mean more to me than I can adequately express. I wish there was a way to show you how happy I am to have those of you in my life. Thank you again. 

"Maybe I'm just a mom."

My life consists of therapy, doctors appointments, more therapy, and taking care of my three stepchildren and my new pup. I guess you could say I'm a pretty busy chick, or maybe I'm just a mom. I'm the mom that's loud, the mom that talks back, the mom that has a question for everything, the mom that won't believe anything you say until you show me valid proof.  And, I'm also the mom that believes that my son is the cutest thing God has put on this earth. My relationship with God is special, we have fought long and hard to be as close as we are. He's been my go-to and the real MVP.

The famous question that drives me nuts is: "How do you do it ?!" I think,"Do what? Love my child?!" Then, I also might think, "How do you leave your house with those eyebrows?!" (I can be a bit sassy, in case you haven't figured that out already.)

"A simple smile...everybody wins."

I believe that if I smile every day, it will become contagious.  If I can lift somebody's spirits with a simple smile, hey, then everybody wins. People don't realize how their vibes can bounce-off others, and it's the random people I haven't met yet in the Angelman community that have carried me when I wanted to fall, so thank you for that. For those I know and those I have yet to meet, thanks for being my friend and being a part of my team. We're all in this together, and together we could fly.