Impact Story: The Preston Family

We would like to introduce you to the Preston family! This family has become very special to Rising Above Ministries over the last few years, and we know you will love hearing their story.

Tell us a little bit about the members of the Preston family and what you all enjoy doing together…

Our family consist of my husband Wes, myself (Danielle), and our two sons, Owen who is five and Troy who is two. We love to go on adventures as a family and spend most Saturdays in the fall watching college football.

Which member of your family has special needs?

Our five-year-old son Owen has nonverbal autism.

What was your response to your child’s diagnosis? Your spouse’s response? How did it affect your other children?

Owen’s diagnosis came as a complete shock, Autism wasn’t even on our radar. We went in for an extensive hearing exam and came out with a list of very serious diagnoses including Autism. At first my husband and I both jumped feet first into the denial river and we stayed there for quite a few months. At that time Owen continue to miss milestones and I began to do my own research. This period was a dark one, It consumed every moment of my life trying to find something or anything that could help. My husband was very angry and was full of blame, because of that he carried a lot of burdens on himself.

How did you first learn about Rising Above?

God made some big changes in our lives including closing doors in our current town in Kentucky and opened doors in a town called Cookeville Tennessee. At this time I had just had my second child a week earlier and we packed up and moved. We immediately knew that we needed to get Owen into a program and we found that our local school district had an amazing Autism preschool program. We were blessed with three outstanding teachers while in that classroom who continued to let us know that Rising Above was here for our family and understood our life and struggles. This was something we had never had before and knew we needed support.

Are there specific Rising Above events that your family enjoys?

Our first Rising Above event which is still a family favorite is the Easter egg hunt. RAM goes above and beyond to meet the needs of everyone a-typical and typical which makes for an exciting afternoon for the whole family. But no other event has touched me the way that By The Brooke Mom’s retreat weekend has. For a whole weekend myself and fellow moms and female caregivers were pampered and loved on and able to have a hot meal and laugh over dinner which is something I haven’t been able to do in years. It gave me a weekend of worship and friendship that filled my cup and gave me a glimpse of the woman that I was before the stresses of this life. Sometimes we get lost in the world of keeping the wheels turning and we forget who we are and this event makes each and everyone of us feel special and gives us the opportunity to remember that we are still people too.

How has Rising Above impacted your life?

Rising Above opened their arms to my family like they had known us our whole lives. They have laughed with us, they have cried with us, and they have brought some of the best friends that we have into our life. There was a time not long ago that my son eloped from our home in the early morning hours, thankfully he had only made it to the yard but I knew that I had my tribe from Rising Above to lean on for advice and support. Before the end of that day with the help of a fellow RAM Autism mom my house was locked down and secured with no judgment. Becky Davidson has went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and the words of her late husband Jeff have healed a part of my husband and our family that I was unsure could be mended through his book Common Man Extraordinary Call. This organization has brought community and light and laughter to a situation that felt dark and never ending and for that and so much more I am grateful!

When we first received our sons diagnosis it felt like we were battling a monster that no one else could see. After finding Rising Above Ministries we know that we never have to fight alone again

We are grateful for so many donors and volunteers who make stories like this a reality every day. Your partnership makes it possible for us to continue to pursue our mission of bringing the love of God and hope in Christ to special-needs families in the Upper Cumberland, across the nation, and around the world.