How Caregiving Connects Us All | Easterseals America250 Documentary Transcript

Transcript

Watch the Video. 

Producer:

Ok everything's ready, so whenever you guys are ready to start, we're good.

Amanda Corcoran:

Awesome.

Producer:

We'll have you start just telling us your name and your role.

Amanda Corcoran:

Sure. I'm Amanda Corcoran and here at Easterseals Southwest Florida, I'm the senior director of adult programs. My favorite title in the world is mom. Second is wife, daughter. But it's a real pleasure to be able to work here at Easterseals. I'm a mom to four, but I'm a mom to a much larger crowd here. I joke that I have my four littles at home and a whole lot of bigs.

Stacy Traymont:

I'm Stacy Traymont and I am Beth's sister and caregiver.

Eddie Gonzalez:

My name is Eddie Molina Gonzalez. I am the caregiver for my sister, Denise Galgano.

Janice Dixon:

My name is Janice Dixon. I am Joy Williams' aunt. I was her mother's baby sister.

Britt Riner:

My name is Britt Riner and I have the privilege of a lifetime to be John David's mama. He's two years old and was born with an extra chromosome.

Producer:

Why don't you tell me about something you're really good at, Beth?

Beth Traymont:

Softball.

Eddie Gonzalez (speaking Spanish):

She wants to know how you chose your outfit. Why do you like to dress like this?

Denise Galgano (speaking Spanish): 

Ah, because I’m in red and with sparkles. Today, I have a sparkly watch and bracelet.         

Producer:

We'll take a couple. We'll do these quickly and then we can get to the end of it.

Janice Dixon:

Ok.

Producer:

Hi, Joy. Right next to her? Yeah. Perfect.

Stacy Traymont:

We have a really fun family dynamic, so there's five children in the home ranging from 25 to two.

Beth Traymont:

It's just really happy family. And that was sad.

Eddie Gonzalez:

We're a small family from Puerto Rico. She and I moved here in 2015.

Janice Dixon:

30 years ago, my sister and I bought a duplex together. So Joy was right next door. My sister dealt with some illnesses and, Joy, she would come to my house. So when my sister got sick, she just moved to the other side of the wall. She didn't have to learn somebody new, but I've always been on her life.

Britt Riner:

Something else John David loves is music. One of his very first signs was music. And it's actually hard for me to have any conversation when we drive in the car because he's always asking for more music.

Amanda Corcoran:

I joke that my first favorite surprise was my husband proposing to me and the second one was finding out that we were having quadruplets. And then the third one was when we realized that Jackson needed some additional help. The best surprise was finding Easterseals.

I think people often have preconceived notions as to what a family unit will look like if your child has a disability, especially if you have multiple children and then it's even more of a novel concept. Not everything is sunshine, rainbow, and butterflies all the time, but not everything is hard all the time. And so as much as I like to talk about the things that challenge our family and the days that are hard and the mornings that are hard and the afternoons and the evenings, there's a lot of joy and laughter and there is this nuance of joy.

And I think that people see families with disabilities and they think that there is a lack of joy or they're missing out on something where I think our family gets to have... We experience joy even deeper. We get to experience things on a deeper level because there's a different appreciation for the littlest things in our lives.

I struggled when it was COVID. The whole world shut down. And so when everything started to open up again at the beginning of COVID, his preschool said, "We're trying our best, but he needs more from us. Well, he needs more than what we're able to provide." And I said, "Where am I going to go? " They've always been in preschool together. They've always been together. I need somewhere that they can all be together where Jax can get the help that he needs. When we came for our trial day to tour, we're greeted by the director, Brittany and one of the preschool teachers and we go into the classroom and they're talking to Kyle and I and whole time we're having the conversation, I'm kept looking over my shoulder watching Jack because they're just letting him explore the classroom. Jack goes down on the circle time mat and he puts his face down on the mat and he starts rubbing his face all against the mat and he's happy as can be and Kyle squeezed my hand.

I'll never forget. Brittany looked over at me. She's like, "Don't worry. He's doing exactly what he needs to do. He's fine." And it was one of the first times somebody told me my child was fine.

[Children Playing]:

Record us. Three. Three. Two. One! [Playful shouts]

Jackson:

Can I have a hug?

Amanda Corcoran:

Yes, you can have a hug.

Denise Galgano:

Buenos días!

Eddie Gonzalez:

It's never been a day where she goes back home, where she's not coming up with a smile, with a story, sometimes even without asking. So that tells me she's enjoying life.

Beth Traymont:

I didn't talk until I was like 12. That's all I remember. But she was the greatest sister. She always took care of me. She always helped me when I needed help, so she was always there for me.

Stacy Traymont:

Growing up, Beth didn't have the ability to have the types of services early on as our children have. And I look back and I wonder often what type of opportunities have been missed.

Janice Dixon:

For me, like I said, the safety, I feel that when I drop her off in the morning, the fact that she jumps out the car, I know because trust me, if it's not something she does not want, she is not doing it. There is a stubbornness that is unreal in that little bitty body.

Britt Riner:

The support that I have received here at Easterseals hippotherapy arena has meant the world to me and my whole family. Not only is he growing in his core strength and in his stability, but also he is having fun. He smiles. He wants to be here, which then makes me feel joyful.

Britt Riner:

Oh, you want more horse? More horse. He says more horse.

Denise Galgano (speaking Spanish): 

I like this place. Oh my God. I like this place. I like it a lot. I like painting. I like it a lot. I like to share with Jose.

Eddie Gonzalez (speaking Spanish):

And do you like to play dominos?

Denise Galgano (speaking Spanish):

I like to play bingo. 

Eddie Gonzalez:

Bingo, okay.

Denise Galgano:

Bingo.

Eddie Gonzalez (speaking Spanish):

Do they win or do they let you win? 

Denise Galgano (speaking Spanish):

No, I won twice. 

Eddie Gonzalez:

No, I won twice. I asked her, did you win or they allow you to win? She said, no, I won twice.

Janice Dixon:

Just seeing her with everybody that works here and how they are with her, it's comforting. You've got to be comfortable with where you leave them, especially if they're numbered. But like I said, the fact that every morning I go through this five days a week, I always say, "Have a good day and try to get a fist pump." It's like, "I got to go. See you later." Close the door and I'm off and then the squealing starts. So when the squealing starts, that's the happy sound.

Britt Riner:

Just like all my kids, you have hopes and my hopes for John David should be no fewer. But when I see him on a horse, again, it opens up the realm of possibilities to think, well, if he's doing that at 20, what is he going to do at three and four and five?

Amanda Corcoran:

And I walk in and I see this girl having the best time on the dance floor. Her beads are going everywhere. She's got jewelry all over and her aunt's standing there and they're having the best time and it was joy and Aunt Janice that were just having the best time. I remember getting in the car and calling Kyle and I said, "If an opportunity comes up at Easterseals to work in the adult program, I'm going to take it. "

Easterseals Staffer:

Jack, you guys good? Are you guys having so much fun?

Jackson:

Yes. We got some snacks.

Easterseals Staffer:

You got snacks too? That's the best part!

Producer: 

Do you have one word that would describe it best for you, the feeling you know that she's here?

Janice Dixon:

Peacefulness. That's the goal. Just be at peace. When I'm home, it's nice and peaceful and for Joy, that's easy. It's easy with a three stool just video and a tablet. Life is good and some Reese's peanut butter cups, we good.

Amanda Corcoran:

When you're in the eye of the storm on most days, you seek peace. You seek support and there is a peacefulness in knowing that there is someone to turn to and there's an organization to turn to.

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