At Boys Town, we know that parents and caregivers with unique circumstances can struggle to get the right kind of care and support they need from schools, agencies and service organizations to best meet the individual needs of their children so they can grow, thrive and succeed. That’s where Boys Town staff members like Megan Oakley come in as positive, passionate advocates to support and guide parents and caregivers in their selfless journeys of loving and caring for children in need. Here’s one story told in the words an extraordinary and grateful mother.
Hello from the Creutzberg family! My name is Alece, my husband is Mark…and we adopted five very active and fun boys! Noah is 14, Ruxin is 9, Jaxson is 8, Maverick is 7 and Lucas is 5. There’s never a dull moment in our home! It’s the perfect amount of excitement and controlled chaos seasoned with an abundance of love.
With that being said, it’s been a challenge to find someone who can keep up with and really support our family. But we found a real gem in Megan Oakley, our Boys Town Care Coordinator Supervisor, who took on the challenge of helping our family. She has gone above and beyond to help us not only survive but thrive these last several months. Her outstanding communication skills, not only with us, but with our children’s schools, agencies and services has been incredibly helpful. Her knowledge of school systems and programs has been invaluable as we have advocated for our kids and family.
Not only does she help me with paperwork, but she also interacts with our children. She comes up with all sorts of creative and new ideas for us to implement that are helping our family be successful! She took the time to get to know each one of our kids, which has meant that her recommendations are both kid-specific and designed to help the family as a whole. She has been able to find things they like and that would help them individually be successful.
One of the most valuable things to me that she does is always affirms my kids and tells them how wonderful they are. She compliments them and speaks to their strengths in a positive way. This means the world not only to them but to me, because my kids have a variety of high needs, strong personalities and lots of activity it can be so easy to focus on the negatives. At times, my family requires unconventional and unique accommodations that aren’t always supported or viewed as positive compared to “normal” families. But not Megan! As our Care Coordinator she always sees these as positive, advocates for them and helps us keep moving toward our goals, together.
As a busy mom of five children, I am so thankful for Megan’s positive support and understanding. It’s challenging raising five boys, all of whom have special needs. It can feel lonely and overwhelming at times, but Megan is always there – positive, understanding and supportive. She helps me feel like we’re not the only ones going through this, and that we’re not alone in our journey! She has been with us every step of the way, from the mountains of laundry and dishes to those hard conversations with schools.
Mark and Alece Creutzberg
Creutzberg Family Chaos Coordinators 😉
Mark and Alece Creutzberg Family Photo: Noah is 14, Ruxin is 9, Jaxson is 8, Maverick is 7 and Lucas is 5.
*The success of this family would not have been possible without the generous investment from Clarkson Regional Health Services.
