Advocate Mom Kris Hersom Mom to Cole (15), Sam (13) and Kaitlyn (7)
Registered Nurse, School Nurse at Newberry High School What is your "Mommy Mantra"? Keep on swimming. No matter what happens, you have to get back up and keep on trying your best.
What is the best parenting advice you've received? Don’t neglect your
relationship with your husband. It is easy to get caught up in all of the kids’ needs and activities and forget the relationship that started it all. This relationship is the bedrock of the family and must be nurtured to be the best parents we can be.
What has been your biggest challenge in mothering? When our
middle child, Sam, was 18 months old he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy (DMD). This is a progressive muscle wasting disease that has no cure or treatment. DMD will eventually cause him to lose all muscle function, including the muscles used to breathe and his heart. Sam walked for the last time on his 11th birthday and has been in a wheelchair full-time for 2 ½ years. Having a child with different abilities changes every aspect of your life. Going anywhere requires equipment and planning. Many things are off limits to us because of stairs or sand or water that the wheelchair cannot go through. We cannot get into most people’s houses, so it can be very isolating. As a result, our family unit has become closer. Although Sam takes up a lot of our time and energy, we do our best to give the other two kids their own special time and make sure they know that they are important too.
What do you do for "me-time"?
Watching old episodes of “Parenthood” on Netflix while working out on my elliptical machine. Good for the body and the soul.
What would you tell yourself if you could go back to before you were a mom? Your life will be very different than you plan for it to be, but it will still
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be amazing! You will find that you have strength that you can’t even imagine, courage that you did not know you possess, and you will love greater than you ever imagined.
Who is part of your support system? Our faith in God and our belief that His plan is perfect helps us daily. All of our family lives in Iowa but we are blessed that my parents have become snowbirds this year. It has been very helpful to have someone else know how to take care of Sam’s needs. Our church family has been a tremendous support and even helped us make our home wheelchair-accessible. We are blessed to be part of all of the Newberry schools. Nothing beats the small town family atmosphere we have here. For the past three years we have organized the Sam Strong Run 2 End Duchenne, a 5K run and 1-mile walk to raise money for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) to help find a cure for DMD. We have had tremendous community support. We have had around 300 people registered for the event each year, numerous volunteers, and have raised over $35,000. Be on the lookout for the 4th Annual Sam Strong Run coming up this September!