AMY OLMEDO
JACKIE MCNAIR is an author and owns White Heron Retreat & Honey Bee Farm . Her mission is to help people experience the blending of spirituality and life lessons by embracing the transformative power of nature and inner wisdom . When she was young , she dreamed of the perfect life : marrying the best man , raising three beautiful children , becoming a doctor , and living happily ever after . But life had different plans . In her mid-thirties , sitting by the pool with friends , watching their children play , she thought , “ If this is life , I don ' t want it anymore . I had been enduring emotional abuse , and I knew I needed to leave my marriage , but I didn ' t know how .” When she finally gathered the strength to leave , the devastation that followed was unimaginable — a car accident nearly killed her , leaving her with Traumatic Brain Injury and physical pain . She had to fight , hiding her struggles to protect her children . Over the years , while rebuilding her life , a second car accident left her broken again and suffering as her body was physically shutting down . She developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder . In her forties , longing for peace and wishing for release from the pain , a spiritual renewal finally brought her back to life , leading her to find her purpose . Nature became her sanctuary . In her fifties , she discovered her God-led mission in this world . I am delighted to have Amy share her empowering story , “ Joyfully Enduring The Labors of Love ,” in our Spiritual Living section .
and her husband are parents of a 29-yearold daughter , who lives with autism and an intellectual disability , and a 31-year-old son in Gwinnett County , GA . Her experiential consultant , McNair Transition Training , LLC , coaches and trains parents in creating meaningful life plans by establishing successful transition plans for school children with disabilities into adult life . She was a parent mentor in the Department of Special Education for Gwinnett County Public School System , helping families understand the Individual Education Program ( IEP ) for special education students and helping them navigate support and services in their homes , schools , and communities . As a 2000 Partners in Policymaking Program graduate sponsored by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities , Jackie has served in various capacities , including as their Regional Advisory Council board member and with the Autism Society of America . As a 2016 Gwinnett County Citizens Academy graduate , County Commissioner Charlotte Nash recognized her as a community volunteer . Jackie is a 2017 Phil Pickens Georgia Parent Mentor Leadership Award recipient . She currently serves on the boards of the Sangha Unity Network and Shine Community , agencies supporting adults with disabilities , and Travel Light Network , supporting individuals on their journey to mental health recovery . Jackie is the author of a Substack newsletter , Beyond the IEP , at JackieMcnair @ beyondtheiep . Jackie returns with an inspiring story , “ Strive for a Better Life and World in the New Year ,” to help caregivers nurture themselves and their loved ones in our Empowering Families and Individuals with Disabilities section .
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