My Son with Down Syndrome & Brain Injury...Parenting Joseph

When you first meet Sue, you sense she is a woman who lives life through a kind and steady grid. Yet still waters run deep and for over thirty plus years Sue and her husband have parented three sons, one of whom was born with Down Syndrome and a brain injury. Joseph will never care for himself in any way. He is totally dependent on his parents for his well being.  In this conversation you will hear the story of a mother who has experienced a life crisis that is painful, sometimes hard to talk about, sometimes experienced in isolation, yet filled with the hope of a woman who leans into her Lord for wisdom and strength. Sue’s love for Joseph shines through as she reaches back into the early years of Joseph’s life and gives us a glimpse into the parenting of a child with special needs and a brain injury that will never get better. She describes how her pastor shepherded her and celebrated Joseph’s birth and life. She talks about preparing for that day when they are no longer physically able to care for Joseph or the possibility that they will die before Joseph. Sue gives us a front row seat of loving and parenting Joseph in a way that will not only encourage other families but also help equip those who love them to walk with them in this often difficult place. This conversation is part of our mini series that offers help and hope to families who have children with disabilities.