To a UniqMom of Three (One Being Medically Complex): A Letter to Myself

Dear UniqMom,

I see you.

I see you praying, hoping, and holding on to faith. You are brave. You are strong. You are loving. And they’re watching—your children are watching.

You speak to doctors with strength in your voice, and then you dive deep into research to understand more. You connect with other parents, seeking the best treatments and solutions to give your child the fullest, happiest life possible. You’ve become an expert, not by choice but by necessity. You’ve changed trachs and G-tubes, suctioned secretions and blood, administered meds and feeds—things that even some in the medical field shy away from. And you’ve done and still do it all with grace.

You frequently visit the place no one ever wants to go: the hospital. But for you, it’s more than that—it’s become a second home, YET AGAIN. While others may find that sad, you see the hope. You see the miracle in motion, live and in color. You see Jackson Holtz Children’s Hospital not just as a building, but as the place that continues to give your child a chance at life.

I see you.

And I want you to know—they’re watching. Your children are seeing the love, the fight, the determination. You are standing beside them, through hell and high waters, giving everything you’ve got. You are giving her the best version of you yet.

You are HER cheerleader.

You are HER smile maker.

You know HER favorite songs and HER favorite toys.

You know how to calm HER, how to hold HER hand, how to love HER—best.

Where other parents talk about sleep schedules, you talk about oxygen sats, resting/fast heart rates, and pressure baselines. Where others mention meal times, you talk about anatomy, upcoming operations, and treatment plans. While others count down to a quiet date night, you count the minutes until you can maneuver through tubes and machines just to hold and rub your baby girl hand.

This isn’t the path you chose. And no, you didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did your child. You’re not better or worse than other parents—you’re just different. Both of you are UNIQLY MADE! You love fiercely, just as any mother does. You just do it differently.

So keep going. Keep fighting. Keep loving

your children through it all.

You’re doing a great job.

You are a UniqMom.

With love,

A mother who’s done it all and never complains.