When Julie and her husband, Tim, were preparing for the birth of their first child, they had no idea that their lives were about to change on a much greater scale than what they had anticipated. Their daughter, Meredith, unexpectedly suffered complications at birth resulting in a significant brain injury. She was diagnosed with life-limiting cerebral palsy and Julie and Tim began walking this road of unique parenting. This book is a collection of the wisdom Julie has gained over the first fourteen years of Meredith’s life and is a beacon of hope for those just starting this adventure. Her words bring guidance not only to weary parents raising a child with extra needs and medical fragility but also to the professionals who care for them. Her unique insight and perspective will benefit anyone who has had an unexpected detour in their life.
Julie Keon’s professional career began in the early 90s in the field of social services. She always had a strong desire to work with people as they navigated through life and its various challenges. As a result, she has worn many hats from birth and postpartum doula (DONA International), licensed marriage officiant, certified Life-Cycle Celebrant, end-of-life doula, death educator, and published author.
More meaningful and important than all of Julie’s professional endeavours, is mothering her only child, Meredith, who has been her personal guru since her birth in 2003. It was the lessons and hard earned wisdom gained from mothering Meredith that inspired Julie to put pen to paper and write the viral essay “What I Would Tell You” in 2011.
After a long hiatus, Julie has returned to her love of writing about this extraordinary experience of parenting with the deep insight and reflections on hard lessons learned and breathtaking truths that she is known for.
It was the lessons and hard-earned wisdom gained from mothering Meredith that inspired Julie to put pen to paper and write the viral essay “What I Would Tell You” in 2011.