Jellystone park hosts event for mothers with special needs children

CAVE CITY Ky.- Cave City’s Jellystone Park is a popular campground, but for mother’s with special needs children, it’s so much more.

A program called A Mother’s Rest in partnership with Jellystone park, gives the hardworking moms and adoptive moms of kids with special needs a place to slow down and relax.

The goal of the retreat is to be therapeutic for both the parents, and the children.

“They’ve just gone out of their way and shown love to all the kids, and that means more than just a good camp,” said Elaine Hardwick.

While the families are here, they’re free to use the facility’s resources as much as they’d like. From the experience of the lakes, the pool, to even the cabins, Jellystone park has fully opened its doors to these families.

Jenny Hutson had three children with her at this retreat, two with Down syndrome and one who is deaf. Hutson said the retreat is a great way to relax while spending time with her kids.

“As we’ve gone around and it takes more than one pair of hands to corral our kids as they’re running all these different directions, they’ve been really welcoming and helpful,” Hutson said.

In addition, it provides the experience of connections.

“There’s like an instant connection that you have with another family when they have kids with special needs,” Hutson said.

With connections, care, and time with the kids, Hutson said this will be a retreat to remember.

“It makes me feel really great that there is a place that’s welcoming to our kids, and is supportive of our journey,” Hutson said.