Moving Forward

It was April 3, 1991. I woke up to find my world collapsing. Paranoid schizophrenia, had struck my then 18-year-old son. Just six short years later, tragedy struck again. Major depression with psychosis claimed my youngest daughter, who at that time was only 16 years old. Our lives were shattered once more. This illness devastated our lives psychologically, economically, and spiritually. Our hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow vanished before our eyes. My children's educational goals, job readiness skills, and job prospects appeared grim. Their self-esteem was shattered. It left us with heartbreaks and despair. Despite such severe adversity, I refused to allow an incurable illness to defeat us. Even in times when there was no hope, we found hope. We fell down many times along the way, but 'getting up' was our only option.