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Contestant's Case to Win

Rockin’ and Writin’
My baby is not quite 4-weeks-old when my sister sends an email that states, “Mom has Parkinson’s disease.” I’m choked up. I read the email a 2nd time…maybe I misread it. I can’t see the screen anymore; there are too many tears silently rolling down my face. My baby is nestled in my arms without an ounce of fear, yet a gush of terror is flowing throughout my entire body.
It’s time for my parents to retire. I stumble onto the web for information and I get frustrated, really frustrated. Competing against dietitians along the western states, I was awarded “Clinical Dietitian of the Year” for 2003 and 2005. I’ve cared for seniors for over a decade and I can’t find simple direction to help my ailing parents.
I will make a difference.
I pluck out my bucket list – you know, the list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket – and I scribble:

• Own a business.
• Have freedom to help my family.

It’s time for this ball of fire to pool all of her resources and experiences together. I will create a senior resource website that makes sense of all this “stuff.” That way, any baffled adult child out there will be able to care for their aging parents without doing it alone. They’ll have me now.

Whenever I nurse my baby, I will use the pockets of time to work on my business. I’ll call it “rockin’ and writin’.” It’s a constant reminder to help my mom.
I willingly accept the position as a juggling caregiver for my two sons and now, my parents. I live out of my comfort zone for a year … on purpose.

I wonder whether I can be a role model then I realize that I already am.

I would consult up to 200 seniors at any given time. I’ve attended hundreds of family meetings…I knew exactly what they wanted. I have the potential to touch more families through my business than I could ever accomplish at any of these meetings.

My baby is 13-months-old and SeniorResourceCentral.com has launched. Mom looks the same and still spends a lot of time in the kitchen cooking my favorite Chinese dishes. She declines any help as she persistently stuffs the wonton skins, ignoring the tremors in her hands; this is where I get my perseverance.

Am I out of my league? It doesn’t matter. I’ve developed an incredible backbone for entrepreneurship– not bad since I came into this knowing nothing about the world of business.

I’m not living a status quo existence. I took a tough situation and turned it around to help myself, my family, and the many, many other people out there who are already receiving the benefit of my expertise. As I take charge of my new life and my new business, I know that I now have so much more than just “Fridays” to look forward to.

I am a Power Woman.

SeniorResourceCentral.com is a website full of answers to the common questions related to helping your aging parents. I may not have all the answers for you, but I can find people that will.
A Registered Dietitian and Senior Resource Diva, April Fan, RD, CD, Founder of SeniorResourceCentral.com, is on a mission to educate baffled adult children who are currently caring for their own children as well as their aging parents. Her goal is to help these juggling caregivers discover how to take the confusion out of this daunting role. Tap into April’s personal and clinical experiences, proven resources, handy tips and sane ideas at http://www.SeniorResourceCentral.com. April hangs out in Seattle, WA with her husband and two sons.