Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

Congratulations unsung hero: Beth Clow

Seattle’s Child recognizes the wonderful, everyday heroes nominated for the Washington Unsung Hero Awards this month.

 

February is Parent Recognition Month. Strengthening Families Washington, of the Department of Early Learning for Washington State, believes there is no better way to recognize a parent, grandparent, foster or adoptive parent than by acknowledging the numerous and impressive things they do to strengthen their family and those around them in their community.

Seattle’s Child is proud to sponsor the Washington Unsung Hero Awards, recognizing our everyday heroes and honoring the important role caregivers play in children’s lives. There are 28 nominees for the 28 days of February, and Seattle’s Child will highlight each and every one.

 

Congratulations to the Unsung Hero for February 11

Beth Clow – Bellevue

As I read your list of five strengths, I thought of one person who has them all. Beth Clow is a truly amazing human being. She lost three babies to late term miscarriage on her pathway to being a mother. When she finally did become an adoptive mother to her son, Thomas, it soon became obvious that he had special needs. Close to the same time, she began to not be able to deny her own chronic illness, IIH. Showing incredible parental resilience, instead of focusing on her ongoing parenting challenges, she buckled down and starting learning everything she could about what her son and she needed. She now has a deep knowledge of parenting and child development, as well as showing social and emotional competence with her boy every day. She is his fiercest supporter and advocate, inside of school and out.

Learning that she doesn’t have to do it all by herself has been Beth’s biggest challenge, but her health issues have actually been helpful in this arena. When she learned that she couldn’t support Thomas to his fullest without asking for help, she learned to ask for help. Through leaning on her social connections – her wonderful husband and her close friends – she now knows that she has concrete support in times of need. I’m not sure that anyone outside of her inner circle even knows that she struggles. I’m honored to be inside that inner circle, and I’m delighted to nominate her for the Unsung Hero award.

Nominator: Malia Kawaguchi


Singing the Praises of Our Unsung Heroes

Read about all of the wonderful, everyday heroes who have won Washington Unsung Hero Awards: seattleschild.com/2015-Unsung-Heroes.

About the Author

Taryn Zier