Parenting
The parenting page is a place for disability community to share information and stories related to fertility, birth, adoption and raising our children. We can share our experiences to help others who are thinking about starting a family or those who are knee deep in it. We can celebrate the amazing moments we've had, or we can reach out and ask questions and receive support from our peers.
Please Note: we may include our names on these pages, everyone else will be identified as “Contributor” or “Peer” unless express permission has been given. If you have any comments or feedback on anything posted, please contact us.
Subject: Wheel Love
Posted: February 7, 2022
Wheel Love
Melanie: I have been going through my notes to figure out who sent me this link so I have held off on posting it. We like to give credit for the contributions made to these resources. If you see this and you sent it... thank you (and let us know it was you)! This video follows one couple in their quest to be parents, but there are other couples sharing their stories too.
Sharing builds community. Empathy leads to compassion. We can be resources for one another.
STORYHIVE: Love, babies and wheelchairs! A unique couple struggles with infertility and navigating the ups and downs of becoming an inter-abled family.
Subject: Fertility & Parenting
Posted: April 13, 2021
Fertility & Parenting
Wallace: SCI BC has some great resources on fertility and parenting. Connect using the link below. Click on the “Kids & Parenting” tab to take you to: “Parenting”, “Female Fertility & Pregnancy”, and “Male Fertility”. I came across the “Male Fertility” information while doing research for work. I found this resource to be a great summary of the issues it covers. It is easy to read and is a good starting point. In addition, it addresses some of the myths we face and provides some interesting facts to debunk them. If anyone else has resources they would like to add to this page, please contact us. Or, if you have any questions related to parenting and sexuality, let us know and we will see what resources we can find for you.
Subject: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Posted: February 20, 2021
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Wallace: I love this picture of my daughter and me. It seems like only yesterday that she was this small. I consider her to be my miracle baby. She was born 10 years post injury. We looked into the reproductive technology available to us and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) was the best option. Although my sperm count was good, its motility and viability was compromised by my SCI. ICSI involves injecting a single sperm into a harvested egg before being transplanted back into the uterus. It was a difficult pregnancy and my daughter was born blue because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, but she was strong (and still is) and quickly began to thrive. We love her to pieces. She is now 22 years old. I love being her father. Parenting has brought me a great deal of joy and further reinforced what I am capable of.