26/12/2025
For many families, medical appointments are occasional.
For parents supporting children with additional needs, they become part of life.
Each year brings the same waiting chair, a slightly thicker file, and a child who grow up between assessments.
And within these quiet journeys are stories that resemble one another: stories of parents like Bella, who have walked through years of appointments and countless moments of waiting.
When Bella’s son turned 4, she felt unsure of where to begin.
Walking into a specialist clinic for the first time, she held her son close along with a quiet fear: fear of negative results, fear of overlooking something important, fear that he might fall behind. The file she carried that day was as thin as a school notebook, yet her emotions felt heavy.
3 years later, Bella “got used to it” not because things became easier, but because this routine had become part of her life.
Assessments found space between work meetings. Tests took place between birthday celebrations. Therapy sessions settled naturally into herweekly rhythm.
Bella smiled and said, “Every year, the only thing that truly changes is him. The appointments stay the same almost like time standing still.”
By the time her son turned 11, Bella carried a file as thick as a school textbook. Each page held a doctor’s visit, an assessment, and a therapy session.
There were days when Bella couldn’t hide her tiredness: her hair tied in a rush, the faint shadows under her eyes. But when she looked at her child, she seemed to stand a little taller.
“As long as he goes further than last year,” she said, “every appointment is worth it.”
To professionals, this story may feel familiar.
To parents living it, it is quiet courage: steady, resilient, and often unseen.
If your years also feel like “appointment after appointment,” please know this: you are not alone.
And if you feel ready, we welcome you to share your journey.
Somewhere out there, another parent, another Bella may find comfort in knowing that someone else understands.
