“Has having a daughter with a disability changed you?”
Chuck Chapman was recently asked this question. When his daughter, Chrissy, was 6 months old, her pediatrician noted that she was not reaching certain developmental milestones. When Chrissy was 2, they learned why after months of searching for answers towards her developmental delay. An MRI scan uncovered a “partial agenesis of the corpus callosum with global developmental delay.” Throughout Chrissy’s growing up years, the family was devoted to getting the best for her. “Wrestling with her school to get services, countless hours and out-of-pocket expenses, and every kind of therapy we thought might be helpful became the focus of our parenting,” Chuck shares.
A father-daughter bond
Now, Chrissy just turned 25 years old, and all the love and support she has received from her family has shaped her into the outgoing and bubbly adult she is today. Her effervescent attitude is infectious, with her ability to make people laugh and feel loved. Surpassing all expectations from clinical professionals, Chrissy is also “pretty independent and can take care of herself with little assistance,” says Chuck.
The love that Chuck has for Chrissy has never waned; they continue their weekly tradition of date night even today. This tradition started when Chrissy was 5 years old. Every Wednesday, the father-daughter duo will grab dinner and pick out Disney books at Goodwill. And within this tradition lies two other ones: betting on the color of discount tags and arm-wrestling to determine who will pay for dinner.
Chrissy has greatly shaped Chuck’s life, too. Chuck has learned much from taking care of Chrissy to watching her grow up and take care of others with special needs as well. Both father and daughter have made and learned from mistakes together, and have spread their happiness, love, and kindness to each other and to those around them. Having Chrissy has instilled in Chuck many values, such as humility, courage, tenacity, compassion, patience, assertiveness, forgiveness, and kindness. Most of all, unconditional love. And to this day, Chrissy continues to “inspire [Chuck] to be a better man.”
Chuck has also dedicated his life and career to be a special needs advocate, counselor, and therapist.
“Because of great teachers in my life I’ve earned a lot of initials after my name, but the three letters that I’m most proud of are D.A.D.”
So has having a daughter with a disability changed Chuck? The short answer is yes.
“Ultimately, every parent wants only one thing for their child, and that is to be happy. Chrissy IS happy and because of that, I am grateful. I am grateful for who she is and proud of who she has become. Yes, having a daughter with disabilities has fundamentally changed me as a human, as a man, and for the better.”
How has your child inspired you to be a better person? Share your story with us and you might be featured here!