Mother’s Day | Through the Eyes of Our Participants’ Mums

Mother’s Day 2023 is fast approaching, which presents an opportunity for celebration, reflection, and open conversations as we honour mothers. Whether you are a mum, a grandma, a ‘mum-figure’ to someone, or are the child of a mum, we can each experience connections to mothers in unique ways. Mother’s Day is a day that can bring up mixed emotions, depending on what each of our personal journeys with motherhood have looked like.

With so many unique stories and perspectives to share, we chose to focus this blog on two stories that are special to the Enriched Care family; the stories of Judi and Deborah – two of our participants’ mums. Judi and Deborah recently agreed to be interviewed by us, and we were touched by their thoughtful, insightful stories as they shared just some of their personal stories of motherhood.

Enriched Care (EC): What’s your name, and who’s in your family?

Judi: I’m Judi (Mum). In our family there’s; Phil (Dad), Zeb (Son), Valli (Daughter) and Seth (Son).

Deborah: My name is Deborah. Myself and my husband, Drew, are the very proud parents of 3 amazing young men. Angus and Rohan are twins, and Austin is our youngest son.

EC: Can you tell me about the process of discovering your child has additional needs?

Judi: Seth was born 13 weeks early and struggled from that point. We knew from that point that he would need extra care throughout his life.

Deborah: Learning that Austin had additional needs called forth a radical change in our goals for the future. We moved our family to Tasmania so Austin could attend Giant Steps and chose to live in a small rural community, as we felt it was here that we could all experience peace and connect with likeminded people. We have been blessed to experience this and much more.

EC: What do you wish you could tell others about being the mum of a child living with additional needs?

Judi: I would love to tell others that we are just the same as them and so is our child.

Deborah: That a child or young person with extra needs allows an opportunity for the whole family and community to flourish by placing a lens on what is truly authentic and real in life.  I would ask that rather than ‘othering' people by using diagnoses and labels, that a true honouring of an individual is what really matters and can be found regardless of additional needs or the absence of such needs.

EC: How has your role as a mum changed with the introduction of NDIS support services through Enriched Care?

Judi: Our support through the NDIS and Enriched Care has been amazing.  The support workers have helped Seth grow in many different areas.  We still have work to do, but as a Mum, Enriched Care have helped lift some of the pressures I felt.

Deborah: My role as a mum has not changed with the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme or any support services. I will continue to advocate strongly for Austin regardless of service provision, as I hold this responsibility as central to my role as a mother. I was a mum long before the NDIS and my role extends far beyond the or any other scheme.

EC: How do you feel when Mother’s Day comes around every year?

Judi: I feel blessed when Mother’s Day comes around, because even though Seth has special needs, we feel incredibly lucky to have him. Seth was a twin, but his brother passed away at two days old.

Deborah: I prefer not to validate a Hallmark type tradition such as Mother’s Day over any other day.  I am a mum every day and whilst I appreciate part of the sentiment that underpins the day, I am also aware of powerful marketing forces that influence people in both positive and negative ways on such days (for example a person whose mother has passed away or had a challenging relationship with their mother may find Mother’s Day a triggering experience).

EC: What’s the best thing about being a mum to your unique and wonderful children?

Judi: The best thing about being Seth’s mum is simply the fact that he is Seth, and he is ours and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Deborah: That I am :)

We’re so thankful to Judi and Deborah for taking the time to share with us. They are truly amazing mothers, whose children are testaments to their love, support and encouragement! We’re proud to have them all as part of the extended Enriched Care family.