Marriage Getaway Provides Rich Community for Couples Living With Disability

“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:8

Amid the rolling hills of East Tennessee, there’s a refuge. It’s a place where couples navigating the disability of a spouse or child can receive encouragement, spiritual refreshment, and fellowship.

Our Joni and Friends Marriage Getaways provide rich community with other couples who understand the unique challenges of disability. It’s a time for couples to invest in their marriage and take a few days to rest—a commodity that’s been in short supply for Kelly and Lottie O’Sullivan, especially with a brand-new baby with disabilities.

At only nine months old, Clementine has already had to face mountains of hardships.

Born under traumatic circumstances, she had a brain bleed that resulted in seizures leaving her legally blind and most likely with cerebral palsy.

Clementine wasn’t breathing after she was born via an emergency C-section. While her heart rate was dropping, she was resuscitated and given a breathing tube. That’s when Clementine began having seizures and had to be put into a medical coma in order to survive. The O’Sullivans spent 50 days in the hospital waiting for Clementine’s condition to stabilize.

Even though they’re now home and learning to assimilate to their new life as a special needs family, Kelly and Lottie struggle with the uncertainty of what the future might bring, as Clementine has yet to receive any official diagnosis.

Battling discouragement and feeling isolated, Kelly and Lottie needed Jesus to intervene and give them a new perspective on their trying circumstances.

And that’s exactly what happened when this young couple came to our Knoxville Marriage Getaway, where they could focus on how to strengthen their marriage within the unique context of being a family impacted by profound special needs.

Upon their arrival, Kelly and Lottie felt lost. This was their first time away from Clementine, and they came unsure of what they were walking into. All they knew is that they needed a break. With so much uncertainty surrounding Clementine’s diagnosis, Kelly and Lottie were amazed to find such incredible kinship in the other couples at the Getaway. They were able to immediately meet another couple whose twin boys were born under remarkably similar circumstances, and a wonderful friendship was born.

At Marriage Getaway, Kelly and Lottie were able to learn about what makes a marriage grow, but more than that, the focus was on how to better their marriage in the context of having a child with a disability.

With speakers who are also raising a child with a severe disability, Marriage Getaway provides what other marriage retreats simply can’t. Couples like the O’Sullivans have unique challenges, and Marriage Getaway surrounds these couples with people who understand them and can also help them face the future with confidence.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

Jeremiah 17:7

For Kelly, the best part of Marriage Getaway was simply the opportunity to have time and space to work on their marriage.

“We weren’t disconnected beforehand, but at the Getaway, we felt really connected and it was really special.”

Kelly

Returning home, Kelly and Lottie felt better prepared than ever to handle their challenges. Armed with new friendships and great teaching about their marriage, they can face the world of disability head on.

And Joni and Friends is working to provide them with even more connections in the year to come through all our Christ-centered programs! The O’Sullivans know that being connected to Joni and Friends at this early stage of Clementine’s life will give them the support needed in the months and years to come. Through Marriage Getaway, Kelly and Lottie found new hope – it’s a hope that will carry them through every season of life!