Children with Special Health Needs Branch

Navigating the journey of caring for a child with special health needs is a path filled with many challenges, triumphs, and profound moments of growth. Each family’s experience is unique, yet they all share a common thread of love, resilience, and hope.This booklet is a collection of mo‘olelo shared by families of children with special health needs throughout Hawai‘i. Some families shared their mo‘olelo in their family’s heritage language, honoring the rich and vibrant expressions of culture within our community. Within these pages, you’ll find honest reflections, hard-won insights, and moments of both struggle and strength.  Each mo‘olelo is a powerful reminder of the strength found in ‘ohana and in the connections we build along the way. To celebrate these stories, families also participated in a joyful photoshoot, capturing the spirit of their ‘ohana.

We hope these mo‘olelo bring comfort, nurture connection, and deepen understanding—whether you’re a fellow parent or caregiver, a healthcare provider or agency, a community organization, an advocate, a government agency serving children, or simply someone who wants to learn.

Mahalo to the families who so courageously opened their hearts to share their mo‘olelo. May their stories inspire empathy, spark dialogue, and remind us all that we are never alone on this journey.

With lots of aloha,

The CSHNB ‘Ohana

‘O ka huaka‘i o ka mālama ‘ana i ke keiki me nā pono olakino kūikawā he ala piha i nā pilikia, nā lanakila, a me nā manawa hohonu o ka ulu ‘ana. He kū ho‘okahi ka ‘ike o kēlā me kēia ‘ohana, akā, ‘oukou a pau e pa‘a ana i ke kaula like o ke aloha, ka ‘ō‘ōpū ali‘i, a me ka mana‘olana.He hō‘ili‘ili kēia puke li‘ili‘i o nā mo‘olelo i ka‘ana ‘ia e nā ‘ohana o nā keiki me nā pono olakino kūikawā ma Hawai‘i a puni. Ua ka‘ana kekahi mau ‘ohana i kā lākou mo‘olelo ma ka ‘ōlelo ho‘oilina o ko lākou ‘ohana, e ho‘ohanohano ana i ka waiwai a me ka nohona ‘ōlelo o loko o ko kākou kaiāulu. I loko o kēia mau ‘ao‘ao, e ‘ike ana ‘oukou i nā no‘ono‘o kūpa‘a, nā ‘ike i loa‘a me ka pa‘akikī, a me nā manawa o ka pilikia a me ka ikaika. He ho‘omana‘o ikaika kēlā me kēia mo‘olelo o ka ikaika I loa‘a i loko o ka ‘ohana a me nā pilina a mākou e kūkulu ai ma ke ala. No ka ho‘olaule‘a ‘ana i kēia mau mo‘olelo, ua komo pū nā ‘ohana i kahi pana ki‘i hau‘oli, e hopu ana i ka ‘uhane o ko lākou ‘ohana.  Mana‘o mākou e lawe mai kēia mau mo‘olelo i ka ‘olu‘olu, e hānai i ka pilina, a hohonu i ka ‘ike—ina paha he makua ‘ē a‘e ‘oe a he kahu mālama paha, he mea lawelawe olakino a he ke‘ena paha, he hui kaiāulu, he mea kāko‘o, he ke‘ena aupuni e lawelawe ana i nā keiki, a i ‘ole he kanaka wale nō e makemake ana e a‘o. Mahalo i nā ‘ohana i wehe wiwo ‘ole i ko lākou mau na‘au e ka‘ana i kā lākou mo‘olelo. Na kā lākou mo‘olelo e ho‘oulu i ka na‘auao, e ho‘ā i ke kūkākūkā, a e ho‘omana‘o iā kākou a pau ‘a‘ole mākou e ho‘okahi wale nō ma kēia huaka‘i.Me ke aloha nui,
Ka ‘Ohana CSHNB