A Celebration of the Unrecognized Caregivers Among Us

Source http://www.sonima.com/meditation/mindful-living/caregivers/

I remember the exact moment I received the call from the doctor that my mom had stomach cancer. It was June 2012, I was in my office and John Mayer’s “The Heart of Life” was playing in the background. The poignant lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks: “You know it’s nothing new, Bad news never had good timing.”

The doctor said that it was an adenocarcinoma—a word I’d never heard. My 67-year-old mom, who ate organic, played volleyball every Sunday, danced every weekend and was one of the healthiest people I knew had been diagnosed with a very aggressive and deadly form of cancer. That weekend, I took an indefinite leave from the accounting firm that I co-owned with my brother in Washington, D.C. and flew to Gainesville, Florida, to help my mom recover from surgery and begin chemotherapy. And just like that, I became one of the 43.5 million Americans who we don’t even know exist until we become one: A caregiver.

The Family Caregiver Alliance defines caregivers as anyone providing unpaid assistance and support to family members or loved ones who have physical, psychological, or developmental needs. While most caregivers tend to their aging parents, 14 percent of caregivers care for a child with special needs. More than 66 percent of caregivers are women, and the average …

Source http://www.sonima.com/meditation/mindful-living/caregivers/

I remember the exact moment I received the call from the doctor that my mom had stomach cancer. It was June 2012, I was in my office and John Mayer’s “The Heart of Life” was playing in the background. The poignant lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks: “You know it’s nothing new, Bad news never had good timing.”

The doctor said that it was an adenocarcinoma—a word I’d never heard. My 67-year-old mom, who ate organic, played volleyball every Sunday, danced every weekend and was one of the healthiest people I knew had been diagnosed with a very aggressive and deadly form of cancer. That weekend, I took an indefinite leave from the accounting firm that I co-owned with my brother in Washington, D.C. and flew to Gainesville, Florida, to help my mom recover from surgery and begin chemotherapy. And just like that, I became one of the 43.5 million Americans who we don’t even know exist until we become one: A caregiver.

The Family Caregiver Alliance defines caregivers as anyone providing unpaid assistance and support to family members or loved ones who have physical, psychological, or developmental needs. While most caregivers tend to their aging parents, 14 percent of caregivers care for a child with special needs. More than 66 percent of caregivers are women, and the average …

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