Creedon Family

"When my seven-year-old asked why God made Cullen with special needs,  my ten-year-old told him that it was to make us better people."

Imagine raising six children, then imagine that two of these children have special needs, creating incredible challenges you have never faced before.

This is the real world of Janette and Daniel Creedon of Marstons Mills, MA.  Each day Daniel, an attorney, and Janette, a stay-at-home mom, deal with the pressures of their jobs and the demands of their unique situation.  The Creedon children range from three weeks to thirteen years. Seven-year-old Aidan and five-year-old Cullen have special needs.

According to Janette, "Aidan has an articulation problem where he doesn't pronounce certain letters but Cullen has a whole series of special needs.  Since Cullen was 15-17 months old, he was not keeping up with other children.  After extensive testing, he was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder Not Other Specified.  Cullen has always had extreme anxiety and heightened senses, couldn't stand his clothing, and at one point wouldn't walk on his leg."

Help from RHCI
For the Creedons, it has been a long journey and one that has changed remarkably for the better since discovering the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands (RHCI).   "RHCI made us feel that there was a place that not only could help our kids but gave us a place to turn to.  Talking to the social worker there helped me to stop blaming my son and come to grips with our situation.  I no longer feel that I am going it alone," Janette says.

RHCI has helped both the Creedon children to move along in their development.  "Cheryl Pelletier is a miracle worker," credits Janette.  "She has made all the difference in all our lives.  Cullen is now in an inclusion class in kindergarten that addresses his special needs and Aidan is doing well in the second grade.

Unique Rewards
"Having a special needs child poses challenges for the entire family.  We have all had to slow down the pace of our lives and adjust it to Cullen's," Janette explains.  His anxiety attacks affect each and every one of us, and his repetitive speech patterns wear us all down. Although it is not fair to everyone else, it is all about what works for Cullen."

Despite the difficulties, the family is learning about the positive side to raising a special needs child. As Janette proudly points out, "Most adults don't learn the lessons in a lifetime that my kids already know. When my 13-year-old was asked to write at school about something that changed his life, he wrote about how living with Cullen has taught him not to judge people in other situations. When my seven year old asked why God made Cullen with special needs, my 1ten year old told her that it was to make us better people."

Janette is convinced that RHCI is the answer for any parent with a special needs child. "They will listen to you, help you with paperwork and advocate to help you reach people that haven't responded to you. They help us to understand and keep us from being alone. You always know RHCI will make it work and give us hope.  For years, we didn't even have a Home Depot, yet we are lucky enough to have a world-class facility for special needs children right here. How wonderful is that!"