Rita Fahlman and her husband were looking forward to their golden years. He had just retired after a 30-year career.
Then one day, they got a phone call that changed everything. They suddenly had to look after three grandchildren ages four, two and 11 months.
That became especially stressful because the four-year-old had autism and what Fahlman described as "extreme behaviours."
"He has an incredible ability to exist on very little amount of sleep. Me, not so much," Fahlman said in an address to the crowd during a Hope 4 MVC Kids fundraiser Nov. 24 at the Willow Lane Barn.
That literally changed their lives.
"Don't get me wrong. We'd always dreamed of being involved in our grandchildren's lives. But parenting was a whole new game," she said.
They called Hope 4 MVC Kids and got the help they needed.
"We received wise counsel and we were pointed in the right direction. This was valuable for us. If this didn't happen, we would not have been able to stay on the journey that we have been on," Fahlman said.
"We found ourselves stretched financially. I needed to resign from my position and I wasn't able to collect EI because I wasn't actively seeking employment.
"My husband had retired from his career of 30 years and now he was seeking to find full-time employment so that we could manage our new responsibilities. We cashed in an RSP (Retirement Savings Plan) to help us get through the first year," Fahlman said.
She said they were overwhelmed by the whole situation but Hope 4 MVC Kids "came to the rescue."
That help included assisting the family to get the medication their grandson needed. They even helped obtain a special car seat for him. Before that car seat was obtained "travelling in a vehicle was next to impossible," Fahlman said.
"They made sure it was a colour that was appealing and that his sensory needs were met and this is huge if you know anything about autism.
"This has been a huge gift to our family and it keeps the other children safe when there's a meltdown in the vehicle," she said.
"We are forever grateful for the generosity of all of you and the hope that you've given our family. Our hope is we can pay that forward and support and encourage other families with children with disabilities," Fahlman said.
"Thank you and God bless you for your kindness to us."
