Disability and Chronic Illness Resources

About Sarah Blake LaRose

Sarah Blake LaRose teaches Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry in Anderson, Indiana. She is one of three blind academic scholars who received the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2016 in recognition of innovative work in the field of access to biblical language texts and tools for people who are blind. In addition to her work as a professor, she provides braille transcription services specializing in ancient languages. Her research interests concern the intersection of disability, poverty, and biblical studies.

Night-Light provides information about living with disability and chronic illness for families and about inclusion for community organizations such as churches, nonprofit agencies, camps, etc. We provide information about specific conditions and disabilities as well as links to other resources. We do not claim to provide an exhaustive list. If you are looking for something and cannot find it, please feel free to email us and we will assist you if possible.

2 comments:

  1. My husband has been having seizures since july 2014, we just founf out they might be pseudoseizures, they are wanting to do a 3rd eeg to rule epilepsy out. Since July my husband has been fired for being hospitalized and unable to work. I am working full time, taking care of my husband and children on my own. is their any sites you know of that can support us in any way? my husband is in the Marine corps reserve, and we are of christian faith.

    1. My first recommendation is to meet with a social worker from your hospital and ask about resources through that channel. It is possible the hospital has a financial aid program which could help with paying medical bills, etc, and there are probably other local programs that can assist with practical things (e.g. energy assistance, etc.) depending on your income level. If your husband is out of work for six months and has lost his job due to his medical condition, he can apply for disability. It is very hard for a person with seizures to get approval, and many people have to appeal two or three times before getting it. However, hospitals usually have an employee on staff who can help you navigate this process. This is a very challenging situation–there are numerous things to explore if epilepsy is ruled out. Most people are then referred to psychotherapy under the assumption that the episodes are psychogenic. As you will read elsewhere on this site, I highly recommend keeping a journal regarding the episodes and events that surround them. It can be very helpful in finding triggering patterns and even in leading to proper diagnosis over time.

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