Claire | Chronically Beautiful: Connection in Caregiving
Hey there friend! I have a question. What would it mean to you to know that there is someone out there who understands firsthand what it means to live with a chronic illness? Not only understands, but has created a project with the sole purpose of spreading joy and hope to others living with similar life long illnesses. That would be pretty awesome, wouldn’t it? Now, what if that person also just happens to be really kind and open about her health and how her illness has changed her family’s life. Today, we meet Claire. Claire shares with us her experience of caring for her mother. Not only caring for her mother, but then becoming the patient herself. We discuss the struggles and the joys, the ups and downs, and the connection she has forged with her family throughout the challenges. We chat about the day-to-day and how they manage to get through the rough times together. “More than anything else, it’s the people in your life that matter.” -Claire Here’s the play-by-play of Suz and Claire’s chat: Getting to know Claire (3:21) Becoming dependent (7:15) The people matter the most (12:50) Making the choice to stay (15:45) Family bonds (17:32) Reality (22:04) Chronically Claire (25:02) What gives Claire hope (34:10) Chronic illness is a journey that is filled with ups and downs. It’s a difficult and painful journey, but it's also one of hope. I hope that Claire has shown you that there are people rooting for you, who want to step up and lighten the load, with joy. Have you had the opportunity to share joy recently? Let me know in the When Autumn Comes Society or send me a DM on Instagram! I'd love to hear about how this helped you. Catch up with Suz: Instagram When Autumn Comes: WAC Instagram WAC Facebook Page WAC Society Facebook Page WAC is a program of the Apricity Hope Project Apply for a Caregiver Package Connect with Claire: Instagram Facebook Chronically Beautiful Email: info.chronicallybeautiful@gmail.com Apply for a care package February 11! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on our upcoming stories from other members of our medical and disabled community. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review so we can reach more moms with medically complicated, rare, beautiful children. Top 3 tips from this episode: No matter what, the people who love you are the most important Staying is a choice Reality can often be harsh, but there will always be hope