A Mother’s Faith, A Family’s Purpose
People ask me all the time how I did it. The truth is, I don’t think I ever looked at my life and thought, “I have to be extraordinary.” I just woke up every day and did what God called me to do. I was a mother first. Everything else came after that. I raised five beautiful children as a single mother while working multiple jobs and building a business. It wasn’t always easy, but my children gave me purpose. They reminded me every day that quitting was never an option. Looking back now, I can see that every challenge was preparing me for something bigger than I understood at the time.
When I Learned About Johnathan’s Diagnosis: When Johnathan was born, I was grateful and honestly in disbelief that God had trusted me with something so fragile. That first night, a doctor told me my baby wasn’t going to make it through the night. I never believed that. I believed God had already decided otherwise. The next morning, the genetics doctor came in and explained that Jonathan had Osteogenesis Imperfecta. I remember asking her one simple question: “So…my baby’s going to live?” She smiled and said yes. From that moment on, I knew I could do it. Not because I had all the answers, but because I knew God wouldn’t place something in my hands that He wouldn’t also give me the strength to carry.
The Hardest Part: The hardest part wasn’t raising a child with brittle bone disease. The hardest part was watching my child hurt. No mother wants to watch her baby go through surgery after surgery, broken bones, pain, and recovery. If I could have traded places with him every single time, I would have. Watching your child suffer is something you never get used to.
What Kept Me Going: People ask me if I ever wanted to give up. Honestly… Not because of Johnathan He was probably my easiest child. He wasn’t the one climbing on furniture or running through the house. Now…raising five kids as a single mother? That’s another story. There was a season when I had three babies in diapers at the same time. Nobody was walking yet. I was working, paying bills, trying to be present for each of them, and wondering how I was going to make it all work. But every time I looked at my children, I remembered why I couldn’t quit. It was important to me that Jonathan never believed there was something wrong with him. That’s one of the reasons I continued growing my family. I wanted him to know he wasn’t different. He wasn’t alone. He belonged.
What Johnathan Taught Me: People think I taught Johnathan confidence. The truth is… Johnathan taught me what confidence really looks like. Confidence with a capital C. Most of us—even when we’re confident—still question ourselves sometimes. We wonder if we’re good enough. We compare ourselves to other people. We carry doubt. Johnathan doesn’t. He walks into every room knowing exactly who he is. He believes he belongs wherever he goes. He believes he has something to offer. Watching him live like that changed me.
What Makes Me Proud: What makes me proud isn’t everything he’s overcome. It’s who he became. He lives life on his own terms. He doesn’t let other people define him. He’s completely comfortable being himself, and that’s one of the greatest gifts a parent could ever hope for.
Why This Foundation Means So Much to Me: Our family has always talked about giving back. For years we’d have conversations about how, if God blessed us, we’d use those blessings to help other people. Watching Moe grow up, listen to those conversations, and turn them into the Moe Norris Foundation has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. He took everything he learned at home… and turned it into service. Now he’s helping families like ours. He’s creating opportunities for people who are too often overlooked. As a mother, there really aren’t words to describe what that feels like. I simply thank God that I get to watch His purpose unfold.
To Every Parent Reading This: If you’re raising a child with a disability… If you’re scared… If you’re tired… If you’re wondering whether you’re enough… Let me tell you something I wish someone would’ve told me years ago. Everything that child needs, you already possess. Love them. Believe in them. Fight for them. Teach them who they are before the world tries to tell them who they’re not. They don’t need a perfect parent. They need you.
What I Hope You Remember: If there’s one thing I hope the Moe Norris Foundation reminds the world, it’s this: Everyone… everyone belongs here. No matter your ability. No matter your story. No matter your circumstances. God created every life with purpose. Sometimes all people need is someone who believes in that purpose before they can see it for themselves.
By: Francina Pleasant
