Navigating Our Journey: Growth, Challenges, and Triumphs with Our Special Needs Daughter

“When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.”
― Jaeda Dewalt

Welcome to "Thriving Slowly"

This is our story of raising three beautiful girls, each at very different stages of life and with their own unique needs. I was inspired to share our journey during some of the hardest moments—when our youngest, Averley, was diagnosed with a rare genetic growth disorder. It’s so rare that only a handful of cases have been reported worldwide, and she’s the only one in our state here in Australia.

When Averley was born, we were overjoyed. She was the little surprise we never expected but instantly adored. She brought so much happiness into our lives! But as time went on, we noticed her tiny size and her struggles to grow at the same pace as other babies. It became clear that something wasn’t quite right, and so began our long journey to understand why our precious girl was thriving so slowly.

Throughout this process, I turned to every source of information I could find. Each new specialist led me down a different research path, and after much uncertainty, we finally received a diagnosis. Those early days were filled with emotional turbulence—not only from the rollercoaster of treatments but also from the overwhelming reality of balancing work, caring for our other children, and navigating the needs of a child with significant additional requirements.

I often felt lost, searching for stories similar to ours, but they were few and far between. That’s when I realised I needed to share our experience, and "Thriving Slowly" was born. I don’t claim to have all the answers, especially when it comes to the medical side of things, but I do want to offer hope, support, and practical advice from what we’ve learned along the way. Whether it's accessing the NDIS, finding the right professionals, navigating therapy sessions, or setting goals—things that once left me feeling completely overwhelmed—I hope our story can make someone else’s path a little smoother.

While much of this is written retrospectively as I reflect on the past two years of our journey, I hope it can provide you with some much needed resources that will help support you and your children grow and thrive.