It takes a village: raising a special needs child and what you need to know

I didn't know that this was going to be my life when my husband and I got married. I didn't know that I would be raising a child with additional needs. No one ever knows. No one ever thinks it will happen to them. But it does. It happens. It's forever and it's a long hard journey.

It's a journey filled with appointments, financial burden, worry, anxiety, joy, sorrow, happiness, loneliness. Loss. Gain.

It's a journey that takes you to places you had never seen; to meet people you never new existed, who have abilities and resilience you never thought possible.

It's time consuming and exhausting and embarrassing at times,and when you stop at the end of the day and look down at the precious innocentness of your child sleeping you realise it is all worth it.

The best advice I can give is take the advice. Learn from others, surround yourself with people to share the journey, especially those who understand the journey, who live it aswell, and arm yourself with knowledge so that when times come that may test you, and they will, you can handle it.

Allow yourself to break down and know that it is okay and that it is hard and you are human, but allow others to help pick you up again and set you back on your path.

Love life. Be thankful. Dare to dream big and never ever give up.