By Elisa, special needs mom, advocate
When you’re a parent of a child with special needs, you learn quickly that “sleep” is never just sleep.
It’s alarms. It’s monitors. It’s listening for breathing changes, movement, sounds that don’t feel quite right—or silence that lasts too long. It’s sleeping with one eye open—if you sleep at all. It’s loving your child so deeply that rest feels like something you no longer deserve.
For years, my care village included doctors, therapists, nurses, family members, and friends who tried to help when they could. But nights? Nights were always on me.
Until Harbor.
The first night Harbor supported our family was something I never thought I’d experience.
“It was the first time I ever slept in bed with my own daughter and actually fell asleep. Harbor made that possible.”
I didn’t realize how much grief I was carrying around bedtime until it lifted.
That night, instead of jumping at every sound or staring at a screen, I was able to do something so simple—and yet so profound—something most parents take for granted.
“Harbor gave me the ability to lay there, cuddle with my daughter, and fall asleep. It was a sweet moment I’ll always remember.”
Without Harbor, that night would have looked very different. “Otherwise that night would’ve been sleepless with alarms dinging. Knowing someone else was watching let me finally rest.”
What Harbor gave us wasn’t just monitoring—it was shared responsibility. A trained nurse watching when my body and brain couldn’t do it anymore. Someone who understood what mattered, what was normal for my child, and what wasn’t.
And that changed everything.
“It’s a game changer — for my husband to go to work, for me to care for my daughter during the day. Harbor made that possible.”
That’s the part people don’t talk about enough. Night care isn’t just about the night—it determines whether the next day is survivable. Whether you can function. Whether you can parent, work, advocate, and show up for appointments without feeling like you’re unraveling.
The peace of mind surprised me most.
“Seeing how detailed the monitoring was gave me so much peace of mind. I slept soundly the second night of our trip.”
Harbor didn’t just watch—they noticed. They tracked patterns. They documented changes. They communicated constantly.
“The text communication was incredible. Every message was prompt, clear, and reassuring.”
And in the morning?
“The morning reports blew me away — more detailed than any nurse we’ve ever had in our home.”
As special needs parents, we are used to fighting systems that don’t quite fit our families. We’re used to explaining, correcting, and advocating. Harbor felt different. It felt like being understood without having to explain everything from scratch.
“I wish I’d had Harbor a long time ago. It’s something I truly believe in.”
That’s why I’m sharing this now—because Harbor Remote Support is becoming more accessible to families who need it most.
Harbor is available as a self-pay service for families who want immediate support without waiting for approvals or staffing challenges.
And for families in Tennessee, Harbor Remote Support is now immediately reimbursable through Katie Beckett Part B—meaning many families can access overnight clinical monitoring and caregiver relief without added financial strain.
That matters. Because support shouldn’t be reserved for moments of crisis. It should exist to prevent them.
“I’d love to help other families experience this — it’s such a difficult journey, and Harbor changes that.”
If you’re reading this as a special needs parent who hasn’t slept deeply in years…
If nights feel heavy, lonely, or overwhelming…
If your care village feels strong during the day but disappears after bedtime…
Harbor doesn’t replace you.
They stand beside you.
They become part of your village—quietly watching, documenting, responding—so you can rest, cuddle your child, and wake up with enough strength to do it all again.
And sometimes, that’s everything.
