Like every parent, we were very excited about the birth of our second child. Although we were told there was an anomaly we accepted the challenge and anxiously awaited the birth of our beautiful baby boy, Jaiden.

 

  Jaiden was born premature and spent 21 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where several tests revealed inconclusive results. A year later Jaiden was finally diagnosed with Complete Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC). The prognosis of the disability is unknown therefore, we believe any and all things are possible for Jaiden.

 

  Coming into this world at 5 pounds 8 ounces, Jaiden is now a strong, growing boy. Despite the challenges he has faced since birth, he remains a happy child, welcoming each day with a great big smile and a real "can do" attitude. Every accomplishment, big or small, is reason to celebrate. Not knowing his prognosis can be difficult at times however, finding answers and options for our son is our greatest motivator. We continue to move forward in hopes of opening new windows of opportunity, from searching for medical experts, to finding passionate therapists, to locating pediatric therapy clinics, to researching alternative treatments for not only Jaiden, but for other children with ACC or similar disabilities.

 

  Since Jaiden's birth, we have experienced early intervention services, outpatient therapy, waiting lists for therapy, hippotherapy, special education programs within public schools and even conductive education in Australia. Because of our experiences and collected resources, we've not only gained a vast amount of knowledge, but we've also connected with other wonderful parents of children with special needs. It's our hope and dream to provide support, resources and direction to other parents who feel overwhelmed, challenged and frustrated when searching for answers. These parents are not alone, there is hope in their journey!

 

  Our wish for Jaiden and all children with developmental disabilities is that their journey come easy and their steps in life lead them where they want to go. We believe all things are possible when you dream big and you have faith. We know there are many parents challenged daily with the same frustrations, concerns, joys and disappointments that we face. That is the driving force behind establishing Jaiden's Journey Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping families of children with developmental disabilities by providing them with the necessary tools for making their child's journey the best possible.