Victoria Gonzales

Nearly five years ago I lost my son due to pulmonary hypertension of the neonatal. During the ten days of my son's life, I thought about what his life would be like if he survived as a child with special needs. Would he be able to survive without machines or any medications? Would I be able to most importantly make the best choices for him as a mother? As I was in the position of watching my son die, my father who was my emotional support was in the process of being deployed to Kuwait on active duty for the Army National Guard. It was difficult to remain positive after the loss of my son. I blamed myself for my son's death and became very depressed. I felt empty and required a lot of effort to do anything. Although I will never know the answers in relation to my son, I can say, my experience is powerful. I can relate and understand how parents of young children with disabilities may feel when many others cannot. Even though I felt like giving up, I decided to continue reaching my goals in higher education. I wanted to keep my mind going. I just wanted to feel like 'ME" again. Life can be very challenging at times, my son inspired me to become a special education teacher because of the impact his death has made my own life. As a caring and understanding mother and teacher, I am a strong believer in education and advocating for children in learning. I want to succeed as a teacher so that my students could succeed as learners and become productive members of society. I vow that together with my students and I could take on learning as partners in a great adventure. Nearly five years ago I lost my son due to pulmonary hypertension of the neonatal. During the ten days of my son's life, I thought about what his life would... read more