The world is coming out of its shell. Can you feel it? Green leaves unfurl from trees. Birds chat louder and earlier in the morning. The light stretches into night and we begin to dust off our grills and shake the last cobwebs of winter.   This is my son Charlie’s favorite season. He goes… Continue reading Summer Hacks for Wheelchair Users

I am sitting in the waiting room of the O.R. at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. It is a cloudy morning and the streets are damp with overnight rain. No one looks quite awake yet. There are fleece blankets draped over legs and Elmo’s World plays on the television in the corner. Despite the weary atmosphere, the… Continue reading Manufactured Calm

We did a big thing. It was a thing we have talked about for years. We put it off, saying we would and could make do without it, not just because it was a huge investment of money but also because it meant a lifestyle switch and a mental switch for our family. But ultimately,… Continue reading The Game-Changer

Shield HealthCare has concluded its 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest! This year, we asked caregivers: “What is Your Happiest Memory as a Caregiver?” For all those who have been called to care, managing the physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical needs of another person can be a life-changing experience. Along with the everyday hardships that come… Continue reading 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest Winners!

Congratulations to Runner-Up Usman! My happiest memory as a caregiver is not a single dramatic moment, but a quiet, unexpected victory that came after years of patience, exhaustion, and love. It happened on an ordinary morning, the kind that usually begins with chaos—early alarms, rushed routines, and constant vigilance. As the primary caregiver to my… Continue reading 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest Runner-Up – Usman Shah

Congratulations to Runner-Up Shakeya! Caregiving has a way of changing your heart forever. There are long days, quiet nights, worries that sit heavy on your chest but then there are the moments that fill your soul with a gentle kind of love. My happiest caregiving memory is wrapped inside one of those moments, and it… Continue reading 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest Runner-Up – Shaekya Locke

Congratulations to Runner-Up Sarah! My happiest memory in caregiving may just be the day my mother-in-law spontaneously turned to me and asked, “Do you mind if I stay one more day?” For the first few weeks of my caregiving I thought I would give out. I wasn’t sure I could adjust. The stress was unbelievable… Continue reading 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest Runner-Up – Sarah Reeves

Congratulations to Runner-Up Monica! My happiest memory as a caregiver didn’t happen on an easy day. It happened on a day when I was exhausted, emotionally stretched thin, and running on fumes—and yet, somehow, everything softened. I am my son Gunnar’s mom. I am also his primary caregiver, advocate, interpreter, and safe place. Gunnar is… Continue reading 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest Runner-Up – Monica Walters

Congratulations to Runner-Up Erika! My Happiest Memory as a Caregiver is when my son, Mark, verbalized he had a good day at school. This might not be the greatest moment for the majority of people, but for myself, it meant the world! Let me start at the beginning. My son, Mark, has Down Syndrome. When… Continue reading 23rd Annual Caregiver Story Contest Runner-Up – Erika Unzueta