私の母は、糖尿病から記憶障害を併発している。
老後のために貯めたお金を、母自身が自分で管理できなくなってしまった。
司法書士の友人経由で、長男である弟を「成年後見人」として申請した。
家庭裁判所の判定により、監督人を付ける条件付きでそれが認められたが、
それは、第三者に多大な経費を支払い続ける任務が課されるという意味でもあった。
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重度の重複障害を持った娘の誕生以来、ずっと手探りの子育てを続けている。
義眼治療や裁判のことを伝えると、たくさんの方が応援してくれた一方で、
心ない読者からの批判も聞こえてきた。
私が何より伝えたかったのは、いろんな障害の存在を知ってほしいということ。
我が子や世の中のために何ができるのか、一緒に考えてほしいということ。
起承転結もない日常、終わりのないストーリーは今でも続いているということ。
我が子のために何ができるかを必死で考えた時に、
その時にベストだと思うことを親として選択していくしか道はなかったこと。
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障害を持った我が子が生まれると、誰しもが自分の亡き後に不安を抱く。
でもこれは、障害の有無に限らず、我が子や家族に何が残せるだろうと考える、
すなわち、世の中のすべての人に当てはまる問題なのだ。
著者の鹿内幸四朗氏は、社会で誰もが考えるべきことを、直球を当てて提議している。
我が子が幸せに豊かに暮らすために「お金の問題」は欠かせない。
「成人」で「判断能力が不十分な人」を守る「成年後見制度」は、
まさに、私たちが今アメリカでその取得のために戦っているテーマでもある。
国の制度に任せることなく、知って行動することの大切さを痛感させられる。
今でも続いているストーリーのなかで、今やるべきことは今やらないと。
鹿内氏は私と同じ歳で、愛娘・あかりちゃんは我が娘と同じ歳。
大好きな友人「かっこちゃん」こと山元加津子さんから繋がった御縁。
この出会いは偶然でなく、必然だったのだという直感がしている。
誰もが要支援者になりうる社会のなかで、ぜひ手に取っていただきたい一冊。
My mother suffers from memory complications as a result of her diabetes.
She is no longer able to manage her own money which she has painstakingly saved for retirement.
We applied to have my younger brother listed as her "Adult Guardian" with the help of a friend of mine who is a judicial clerk.
The court granted our request with the condition that she be appointed a supervisor.
It also meant that we would be tasked with making continuous payments in exorbitant amounts to third parties.
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Ever since the birth of my daughter who has multiple severe disabilities, we've feeling out way forward as we do our best to raise her.
While a great many people showed their support after I released a book about my daughter, I received some criticism from the more inconsiderate readers.
What I wanted to convey more than anything else is that there are all kinds of disabilities out there.
I want you as a reader to think about what you can do for your children and for the world.
The cycles and routines of daily life with no beginning or end, the endless story that continues even today.
The fact that when I racked my brain desperately to think up anything I could do for my child, the only way I could find my way out was to choose, as a parent, the best thing I could think of at the time.
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When a child is born with a disability, all parents have concerns about what will happen to their child after they pass on,
but I am sure that this question of what one can leave behind for one's children and one's family is one that every parent in the world faces regardless of whether or not their children have disabilities.
Author Koshiro Shikanai hits the nail on the head with what everyone in society ought to be thinking about.
Solving "the money problem" is essential for children to live a happy and prosperous life.
The adult guardianship system, which protects adults who are deemed incapable of making fair decisions, is exactly the subject we are fighting for in the U.S. right now.
His book mentions the importance of knowledge and taking action without leaving things up to whatever the national system is.
In the ongoing story that is our lives, what needs to be done now needs to be done NOW.
Mr. Shikanai is the same age as I am, and his beloved daughter, Akari, is the same age as mine.
We were connected through our dear friend, Ms. Katsuko Yamamoto.
I have a hunch that this chance encounter was not a coincidence, but the workings of Fate.
In a society where anyone can come in need of support, this book is a must-read for everyone.
