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Mums And Special Kids
M.A.S.K. which stands for Mums and Special Kids, was birthed in the hearts of two ladies who have children with special needs - Pauline, whose daughter has learning disabilities, and Denise, whose daughter has spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
Parenting a child with special needs requires lots of energy and a positive attitude in the toughest situations. It can be very rewarding, but it can also be extremely frustrating and isolating and we can often feel judged by those who don’t share our experience.
Turning to God during these challenging times can offer healing and a safe haven to vent our often powerful emotions without fear of judgement. But alongside God, we need fellowship with others who fully understand what we go through daily.
The healing power of being able to talk to someone that completely understands what we go through is amazing, and only other mothers of special kids can appreciate this. How can anyone understand the depth of our emotions if they have never experienced them before. It’s only within this group, that we can remove the “MASK”. The mask of being seen to be coping, of being fearful that others will see us as weak if we truly admit how we are feeling on those bad days, or even thinking of ourselves as weak.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says,
This really is the basis for M.A.S.K. We hope that it is a place where we can get and give the support and comfort when it’s needed most, where we can share tears and have a shoulder to lean on without judgement. And where we can establish friendships among others who understand our mutual struggle.
M.A.S.K. is open to any mum who has a child with any kind of special need. It is for Christian and non-Christian alike. We meet once a month, on a Saturday morning, in the lounge of the Ulster Temple Church, where we get a breakfast cooked for us.
In the 2 ½ years that we have been running, we have seen our group grow to approx, 20 mums. During this time we have had pamper mornings, Christmas Craft sales, evenings out for meals, allergy awareness meetings, benefit entitlements and our annual Christmas and Mother’s Day events.
As word is spreading of our group, we are finding that we are being contacted by people who are concerned about mums in their communities whose children have either become seriously ill or disabled or who have had babies with serious complaints. For these mums we send a spread of flowers and a card, Just to let them know that we care. Our hope is that in everything we do, God would be glorified.
It is such a privilege to be a part of this ministry and we thank God for His provision and continual faithfulness.
Some mum's comments:
“M.A.S.K. came along at the right time for me. Sometimes you feel alone- that no-one really knows or cares! M.A.S.K. is a lifeline. I can come and be me. To know that someone else knows what you are going through really matters. Even to come and let your hair down - we have lots of laughs - just time out!”
“M.A.S.K. is a gift from God.”
“M.A.S.K. is my lifeline. I know even if I’m feeling down there is always a group of friends who I can talk to, who will listen and understand what I’m feeling. I can take down my barriers and be myself and know that I’ll be accepted for who I really am.”
“M.A.S.K. really is a blessing from God. To have somewhere I can freely share both tears and laughter means so much.”
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