How rEcess Is Supporting Us Through The Pandemic

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The upper case E in rEcess isn’t a typo. It’s there for a reason.

If you follow Avery’s life on Instagram, you’ve seen how active and engaged she’s been throughout the pandemic. There’s a story and I think it’s a full-circle moment worthy of sharing.

When Avery was first diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder, we were caught off guard and we scrambled to find information. In 2006 internet resources were difficult to find. In my search I came across a video called, “Dear Eliot.” I watched it over and over again and sobbed every time. My husband implored me to stop. “Why do you keep putting yourself through that?” he asked. I told him that I found it heartbreaking, but also… I found hope in it.

If you haven’t seen the video be warned, it’s very emotional.

Though it has a devastating outcome, I drew strength from this beautiful family. They embraced each day with their son and celebrated his life for the 99 days they were able to love him. Their attitude was of gratitude and love. The message I hung onto was that even in the darkest days they were able to survive. And even thrive. I clung to the idea that we would be okay in our journey with Avery no matter what. We would love our girl and celebrate her every day.

We eventually got into a steady routine and I scoured the internet less and less. And I finally stopped obsessively watching the Eliot video.

Fourteen years later…

A year before the pandemic began, Avery signed up for a program called rEcess.

This incredible respite program provides children with disabilities and their siblings with in-person activities. Each participant is paired with a buddy (awesome volunteers… Avery’s older brother was one of them!) and they spend one Friday night a month, independent and free of parents and paid care givers. The can frolick in an inflatable bouncy house, play basketball and games, watch a movie in their jammies and experience quality, independent social time, just like any other kid. It was the highlight of Avery’s month until the pandemic put an end to in-person activities.

I love going to rEcess. I have so much fun there. I get to play with my friends and change into my jammas and stay up past my bedtime. And Sebastian is there too. I miss going there in real life but I love doing rEcess online. I’m verrrrrry busy. My favourite things to do are dance class with Miss Sophia. And yoga. I’m very good at yoga. We do drum circle and Taekwondo and have parties online. And pizza. I feel happy when I see my friends. I love rEcess.

Avery Thornbury, rEcess participant and number one fan

When we went into lockdown, rEcess thought way outside the box and provided their families with diverse and entertaining online interactive activities. I don’t know what this year would’ve been like without this lifeline. Avery, who was an extremely social and active child pre-pandemic, thrived in so many in person sports and activities. When her favourite sport shut down completely during the pandemic, she was heartbroken.

Thankfully, rEcess was there and she was able to move her body and connect with her peers. We are so grateful for that.

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Here’s a bit about rEcess:

rEcess is for children with disabilities

Participants are paired one-on-one with an adult friend whose sole objective is to make rEcess the best night of their week.

rEcess is for parents

Parents can look forward to a few hours of quality time every month. They can rest, reconnect with friends or catch up on errands. However they choose to spend their time, they can relax, knowing their children are safe and having a fun.

rEcess is for siblings

It’s also a break for siblings to get to enjoy the fun while connecting with other siblings who understand what it’s like to have a brother or sister with disabilities.

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Here’s the full circle moment…

I wondered why rEcess was spelled in such an unusual way. Was the uppercase E a typo? I soon discovered the E stands for Eliot—Eliot from the video from years ago.

The capitalized “E” in rEcess is no mistake. Eliot Mooney’s parents were on the receiving end of much help and assistance from others that enabled them to better care for Eliot, and that is what this is all about-serving families in ways that help them better care for their children.

Source

Eliot Mooney’s parents’ loss inspired something incredibly positive.

This pandemic has burdened families with significant hardships, but rEcess has been a brilliant positive for us.

To Andrea and your team, we are in awe of your enthusiasm and dedication. From your impeccable organization skills, to delivering craft and activity materials right to our doorstep, to arranging pizza nights (I thank you, my waistline does not.) we just can’t thank you enough.

The most impressive of all is your sourcing of such creative and unique programs. Avery is loving them all! You’ve introduced us to organizations and activities we would never have come across otherwise. Avery plans to continue on with several of these well after the pandemic.

Parents of kids with developmental, intellectual or physical disabilities: Learn more about rEcess HERE. It’s been a game changer for our family and I just can’t say enough about it. 💚

Everyone: Check out this link to find out how you can support rEcess. Activities are offered to families with kids with disabilities free of charge. This means that ALL families are able to access this support without a financial barrier. You can support rEcess financially or (when things open up again) perhaps your teen would consider volunteering to be a buddy. It’s an incredible opportunity for them to learn leadership skills, to earn volunteer hours, and to have a great time. 💙