Here is a poem about what I have been thinking about today.

Aides Are Angels

What are aides?

Aides are angels descended from Heaven,

To assist vulnerable souls in time of need.

Such angels toil for payments of love and

Respect, but yet little is returned.

An aide helps a person, in school or at home.

In turn, a person respects them for what they

Do and how they do it. A special bond is created

Between a person and their designated hands, eyes

Or whatever else they need help with.

And yet, you tell me these angels are merely paid,

For all they do for our world? Why? Can’t you see

What our angels mean to us?

A few months ago, I was evaluated for a new Dynavox.  I was eying the new Maestro and it had two options of communication .  The first one was  to stay with the communication system I have currently, which is the Gateway system.  The Gateway system has pages of letters, words and phrases.  Then, there is the other option of Word Power-the one I wanted.  In Word Power, all the words, letters and phrases are on one page.  I wanted Word Power because I thought it would be more efficient for me with writing papers and communicating.

The problem is that the Dynavox I have now isn’t five years old.  Because of that, the insurance isn’t going to cover the new one.  And that augmentative communication device is not cheap.  It costs thousands of dollars.  My family and I were blown away by this denial.  I hope this five-year requirement for special needs equipment changes because this to me is unfair.  I mean, what if I broke my Dynavox before the five year mark?  I would get a loaner, but no texting capability.  That, to me, is a disgrace.  When I become a social worker, I will try to change that rule because that isn’t fair.