Tragedy Supports the Need

According to an article in today's STAMFORD ADVOCATE (www.stamfordadvocate.com), a 62-year-old mother in my town killed herself Sunday, along with her 41-year-old physically and mentally handicapped daughter.  Life was simply too difficult.  Reports indicate the mother suffered from mental illness and did not think her daughter could survive without her help.  Such a tragic situation, right in our backyard.  It makes me think about the countless parents out there in towns like mine who are struggling to help themselves and their children with special needs.  No matter how much we love our kids, the challenges are often overwhelming.  And they don't go away as the children get older.  As communities, we all need to do more to support people with disabilities of all ages, and their families .  Schools, places of worship and community centers need to remember these kinds of families when developing programs, resources and support.  And we need to get the word out better about the kind of help that's available.  While her problems were obviously extensive, this woman perhaps would not have felt so helpless if she had better access to information and services for herself and her adult child.  We can do better.  We must.