5 Things I Would Do for My Son and Others Upon Winning the Powerball Lottery

Dear Universe, Random Chance, Fate, All Powerful Individuals My Somewhat Suspicious Grandfather Believed Controlled the State Lottery, Etc.,

No, I didn’t address God here.  I do believe in Him.  But I prefer to think He is concerning himself with matters unrelated to state lotteries or NFL football. 

I have heard the unfortunate stories circulating in the past few years about lottery winners who later go on to personal misfortune.  It has occurred to me that this is perhaps the reason you have reservations about letting me win the Powerball lottery.  I know that we don’t actually have the Powerball lottery here in Florida, nor do I actually play it.  But my dad assures me that this should not be a hindrance if I am destined to win.  If it is meant to happen, it will happen.  So, I thought I should outline exactly what I would do with the funds should you rethink the matter and place a winning ticket in my path. 

Here is what I would do with several hundred million dollars:

1. Build a new home — complete with a large sensory-friendly playroom filled with therapy equipment and furniture ideal for preschool learning.  Build a nice guest home a little distance from the house.  Hire a full-time ABA therapist.  Recruit someone awesome with competitive salary and free housing (the guest house).  Yeah, so this one is personal.  But, if I win the lottery, my baby gets taken care of first.  However, he needs socialization and a school.  So…

2.  Put together a team of education experts –some made up of professionals I have worked with in my local school system who are awesome, recruited persons knowledgable in autism and special needs learning, and experts in charter schools and private schools. 

3.  Build an autism charter school or private school here in my hometown.  Staff it with teachers who have experience working with autistic kids, speech/occupation/physical therapists, and ABA therapists and trainers. Design it on a sliding scale of affordability for parents to enroll their children and establish some sort of foundation to assist in keeping it running after the money runs out.  I was an English major.  Somebody else will have to be in charge of that part. 

4.  Found a special needs parent organization designed to establish a chapter in each city – including mine.  The goal being to have a PTA type group looking out for each others’ common needs across a common school system and training some members to be special needs advocates. 

5.  Begin a therapy scholarship for families like ours.  Whose insurance (just yesterday) deemed that their child may not attend locally based speech, occupational, and physical therapy but most drive out of town for 6 therapy sessions per week.  People who can’t quit their jobs to do so.  People who need ABA therapists to travel to remote areas to provide services in little towns that have never heard of ABA.  People who aren’t eligible for any kind of help whatsoever because they are living high on the hog on the equivalent of a teacher’s salary.  People who didn’t sleep a wink last night — eaten up with panic in the witching hours of worry for parents of special needs kids.  Yeah, people like that.

So, you see, I have good plans for these funds.  Certainly better than that guy who put it in the bank and bought an RV, right?  I’m ready, Universe.  Bring it on.  I got this.