'I saw resilience,' summer research student says

Masha Koroleva is a fourth year psychology student at York University. This summer she was a research student in the Bloorview Research Institute in the Ward Family Summer Student Program. Masha’s own experience with illness that left her bedridden sparked her interest in working as a clinical psychologist with children who may be marginalized by disability or chronic health conditions. BLOOM: Tell us about your work in the Bloorview...

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Be gone joy-thief

I was elated when I read this blog post by Anchel Krishna at Today's Parent. It's about her daughter, who has challenges speaking, having a "real conversation" with words. When asked about her day at school, Anchel's daughter offers up what she considers the most salient piece of information: "Cried a little bit," she tells her mom and grandmother, ignoring their specific questions. "She had a message, she had something she...

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Connecting the dots

On the weekend I was in Chapter's and noticed this memoir on a prominent display: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way: The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, xxxx, Wife, Mother and Friend to Man and Dog. Entertainment Weekly called it a must-read and described it as "nostalgic, sad, and pee-in-your-pants funny." A review in the Los Angeles Times says "it's hard to recall another collection of essays, or a memoir, with more natural charm." I...

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Need for speed

Riding an ATV on his own at camp this summer was a thrill for Ben. So I wasn't surprised when a message came home from his co-op placement that he'd made a beeline for an electric golf cart that students aren't allowed to drive. Ben is doing a co-op at Variety Village, a sports club adapted for people with disabilities. He goes every other day with an assistant. They're still figuring out his program but the other day he was...

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Happy Friday!

BLOOM was ranked 33 out of 150 top non-profit blogs! Thank you to all of our readers and contributors. Just a couple of items today. Has anyone read The Reason I Jump? It's a small book in which a Japanese teen with autism who can't speak answers questions about his autism. To write the book the author painstakingly pointed to an alphabet grid to spell out his words and then sentences. I've been eagerly anticipating...

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Can storytelling improve care?

Today I'm submitting a research proposal for ethics review on a narrative training group for nurses on one of Holland Bloorview's inpatient units. This stems from what I've been learning about narrative medicine and the power of storytelling to humanize health care.The bi-weekly group will have nurses write a story or draw a comic about their emotional responses to work with clients and families and about how they imagine clinical...

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Henry starts school

Columbia University professor Rachel Adams is the author of the just released Raising Henry: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability, and Discovery about life with her son Henry (above), who has Down syndrome. Here she talks about her hopes and fears as Henry starts kindergarten.When the box of shirts arrived, each sized "XS" and embossed with the logo of our son’s new school, my eyes teared with happiness as I pictured him getting dressed for...

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Connection with son eases one mom's focus on 'recovery'

By D. Christine Brown Today is a bittersweet anniversary for us. Two years ago our healthy son Lucas ended up in the intensive-care unit. He was two. He had a very high fever and prolonged seizures, out of the blue. A few days later, he suffered severe brain inflammation. After spending four months in hospital recovering, he’s continued to progress. Lucas is relearning to talk and is physically active. But since his illness his development...

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The therapy fund

We don't talk enough about the mental health challenges of raising children with disabilities.  There are many studies showing higher rates of depression and anxiety in parents like us. Earlier this year, former Canadian Olympian rowing champion Silken Laumann talked at a BLOOM speaker night about creating a new blended family that includes her teen stepdaughter with severe autism. The brilliant thing about Silken...

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