{"id":88360,"date":"2025-12-10T00:10:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/88360\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T00:10:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:10:17","slug":"san-joses-parents-helping-parents-aids-families-touched-by-disability-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/88360\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose’s Parents Helping Parents aids families touched by disability"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Thu Buu Vien didn\u2019t know just what to do.<\/p>\n

Her 2-year-old son Hien had just been diagnosed with autism, global developmental delay and a seizure disorder. She had questions but no answers, stacks of paperwork but nobody to help her make sense of it, and plenty of guilt surrounding the situation, blaming herself for things she may have done wrong during the pregnancy. She also didn\u2019t speak much English, having just arrived to the U.S. two years earlier from Vietnam in 2016, which made the whole thing even more difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy days consisted of tears,\u201d Vien said through a translator. \u201cI was so overwhelmed that I couldn\u2019t understand what to do or where to start. I didn\u2019t believe that anyone could help me at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she got a referral to Parents Helping Parents<\/a>, a San Jose-based nonprofit that aids families raising loved ones with disabilities through advocacy, education and various means of support.<\/p>\n

And her story changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to the support meeting and I really felt that PHP could help me,\u201d said the San Jose resident, whose son Hien is now 9. \u201cI was in awe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just like that, she didn\u2019t feel so hopeless or alone anymore, as she worked with the PHP staff members \u2014 most of whom are parents of children with disabilities themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to connect with parents who had been there and with families who faced many challenges but were moving forward,\u201d Vien says.<\/p>\n

\"ThuThu Buu Vien, of San Jose, plays with her son Hien, 9, at Fair Oaks Park\u2019s Magical Bridge Playground in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. Vien is one of the parents with a child with disabilities who receives help from the nonprofit Parents Helping Parents. (Doug Duran\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vien was able to gain crucial assistance from PHP in understanding the many agencies that could provide support for her son. That included navigating the IEP (Individualized Education Program) process and IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services) program.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, I changed my perspective,\u201d Vien says. \u201cI realized that there is a community who will walk forward with me and my child.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vong-Vien Family is one of tens of thousands of families that have benefited greatly from Parents Helping Parents, an organization with roots that stretch back to 1976 \u2014 when two mothers with children with Down syndrome organized a support group \u2014 and then incorporated as a nonprofit in 1980.<\/p>\n

PHP is an ally for these parents at all stages of their children\u2019s development, walking them through life transitions, from birth to early intervention and dealing with school to adulthood and the challenges of independent living.<\/p>\n

The organization offers webinars, one-on-one consultations, support groups and so many other applicable resources, all of which are designed to encourage and assist families across California, the majority of whom live in Santa Clara County.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat PHP gives families is more than information \u2014 it\u2019s hope, belonging and the strength to keep going on the hardest days,\u201d says Mark Fishler, PHP\u2019s chief development officer.<\/p>\n

Through the Mercury News\u2019 annual Wish Book campaign, which seeks to raise money for the most vulnerable in our communities, PHP is looking to receive $25,000 to expand its operations and work with even more families in need of services.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamilies raising children with disabilities face overwhelming barriers \u2014 especially in communities like East San Jose and Gilroy, where language and access gaps are the deepest,\u201d Fishler says. \u201cThe Wish Book grant means we can meet parents where they are, in their language, and help them know they are not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Specifically, the grant would allow PHP to support more than 300 services for families in East San Jose and South County. These services include support groups, one-on-one consultations, family events and advocacy training, all of which, Fishler says, are \u201cdesigned to help parents navigate disability systems and access vital resources in their own language and community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alba Vivas is yet another parent who has found the services provided by PHP to be so very invaluable.<\/p>\n

\"AlbaAlba Vivas, of San Jose, reads a book to her daughter Ariana, 9, at their home in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. Vivas is one of the parents with a child with disabilities who receives help from the nonprofit Parents Helping Parents. (Doug Duran\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

When her daughter Ariana was first diagnosed with autism in 2021, Alba was initially filled with trepidation over what might happen in the days, months and years to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was worried for the future of my daughter,\u201d says the San Jose resident, who came to the U.S. from Colombia in 2018. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how to start the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

She quickly decided to be the strongest advocate that she could be for her daughter \u2014 and that decision eventually led her to PHP, where she found the support she needed to tackle the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t alone,\u201d Vivas, a Spanish speaker, says with the assistance of a translator. \u201cI understood that there are a lot of families with similar \u2014 or worse \u2014 diagnoses as my child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanks to PHP, Vivas\u2019 situation started to improve as she was able to find the resources she needed to help her daughter.<\/p>\n

Now, Vivas is working to help other parents, too, as she participates in PHP\u2019s Autism Support Group and the Connected Families Club, where she is able to share challenges and victories with other members of this community.<\/p>\n

\"AlbaAlba Vivas, of San Jose, helps her daughter Ariana, 9, with a phonics flash card game at their home in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. Vivas is one of the parents with a child with disabilities who receives help from the nonprofit Parents Helping Parents. (Doug Duran\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to be there because my experience can help others and their experiences can help me,\u201d Vivas says.<\/p>\n

Overall, what PHP is helping to create is an empowered group of parent advocates \u2014 ones that are there to help both themselves and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen parents receive support, training and encouragement, they become powerful advocates \u2014 not only for their own children but for countless others,\u201d Fishler says. \u201cThat ripple effect is how we change systems and build a more inclusive community.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time a parent learns how to navigate the system or advocate at school, the whole community benefits. PHP helps families unlock that kind of change.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information on Parents Helping Parents, visit php.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ParentsParents Helping Parents staff and clients, from left, Resource Specialist Zemar Pina Sanchez, client Alba Vivas, client Thu Buu Vien, Chief Development Officer, Mark Fishler, and Education Specialist, Vivian Trieu, at the Parents Helping Parents office in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. The non-profit organization offers workshops, support groups, and leadership training to families with children who have disabilities. (Doug Duran\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

ABOUT WISH BOOK<\/p>\n

Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.<\/p>\n

WISH<\/p>\n

Donations to Parents Helping Parents<\/a> will support over 300 direct services to families with children with disabilities in East San Jose and South County. Goal: $25,000.<\/p>\n

HOW TO GIVE<\/p>\n

Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com\/donate <\/a>or mail in this form.<\/a><\/p>\n

ONLINE EXTRA<\/p>\n

Read other Wish Book stories, view photos and video at wishbook.mercurynews.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thu Buu Vien didn\u2019t know just what to do. Her 2-year-old son Hien had just been diagnosed with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":88361,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[42335,184,7,1570,1533,181,971,23,100,5466,2944,182,385,88,90,89,198,200,420,42336,42337],"class_list":["post-88360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-all-readers","tag-bay-area","tag-california","tag-health","tag-keywee","tag-latest-headlines","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-nonprofits","tag-photos-and-videos","tag-pm-report","tag-regional","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-santa-clara-county","tag-south-bay","tag-things-to-do","tag-wish-book","tag-wish-book-2025"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88360"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88360\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}