Resilience is the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult challenges. Many special needs parents may struggle with this throughout their child’s journey. The many challenges and difficulties with everyday life, doctors, and getting the proper supports they need can be overwhelming. In this episode, Annette speaks with Dr. Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon, who goes by Marcia NB. Marcia NB has a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and is the author of the new book “Lighting the Path: Leaning into a Hopeful Future as a Special Needs Parent”. Marcia NB quickly faced her challenges with her own daughter Emma and became an advocate to help other families work through their own challenges.
Marcia NB’s daughter Emma was born in 2012 with heart issues and as the result of a heart surgery mistake, became severely brain damaged at only 8 months old. While at a rehabilitation facility with Emma, Marcia NB saw many special needs children and families. After a conversation with one mother that knew nothing about her own son’s disability, Marcia NB decided she needed to advocate for other families that were not getting the information they needed regarding their own children. Marcia NB became a Parent Skills Master Trainer through the World Health Organization and Autism Speaks.
Marcia NB also has a YouTube Channel called The Changemaker Series where she interviews people who are making a difference just by being themselves. She also features her own talks where she hopes to help people step out of their “overwhelm” state and start taking back joy and fulfillment.
Finding Resilience By Releasing Stress
Marcia NB says, “We all have to come to our own understanding and create our own meaning out of what we are going through as special needs parents.” To release her own personal tension and stress, Marcia NB wrote. She says the name of the book “Lighting the Path” came to be due to her feeling she was in darkness when the accident happened to Emma. Marcia NB felt she needed to know this darkness, to become resilient and to help others in similar situations through their own darkness. Lighting the Path’s final chapter “Celebrating Your Resilience” offers the wish that her experiences may help those walk their own path and achieve clarity and support through all their own challenges.
For information on other topics, please also check out Special Needs Companies. For legal advice, inspiration and other resources, visit our blog here. Similarly, you can always listen to previous podcast episodes (and be sure to leave us a review), or download our free eBook here. We are always looking for podcast guests as well so please let us know if you or someone you know, has a special needs or disability topic you would like to speak about – Contact Us!
Join Our Facebook Community!
You can also join our free Facebook community for the disability community, the “Circle of Care,” or watch the webinars and other speaking events on YouTube. The purpose of this community is to create a space for people to be themselves. You can ask questions and get support and answers, so please share these resources with your friends!
Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for more than 20 years. Ms. Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice and podcasts as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to help others within the special needs community.
Listen to the full episode here!
Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for more than 20 years. Ms. Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice and podcasts as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to help others within the special needs community.