“When the day comes you have to take a step back and realize, to others, your child’s speech is unintelligible, and it hurts. Then it hits you hard. Harder than you could imagine. But we can never give up.”
‘If something happens, how will he tell me?’ He shouldn’t be ignored. It feels like I’ve failed him.’: Mom of nonverbal, autistic son says ‘it is our job to listen’
‘I was SO nervous the morning of the surprise. I felt like I was back in high school, about to give a dreadful speech. I watched my recycling driver cry tears of joy. The burden was instantly lifted.’
“I thought that would be it. I was wrong. What is a mundane task to many is a big deal around here.”
‘She had less than 25 words in her vocabulary when you met. You said to give her a chance. When others doubted her potential, you advocated.’
“She had round cheeks and two tiny, wispy pigtails that you tell me you remember like it was yesterday.”
‘Feral: That’s the word they used to describe our little girl the day she came into our home. Sounds terrifying, doesn’t it?’
“She was 3.5 years old. She couldn’t speak. Not a single word. Not a single sentence. How is this even possible?””
‘He said, ‘I didn’t get Mushu, the dragon from Mulan, but I did get this!’: Dad shocks daughter with ‘special’ tattoo to honor her on wedding day
“I have rather obvious tattoos. My dad didn’t love them. After this wedding picture was taken, my dad blew my mind.”
‘What is happening? I am trying to move but nothing is happening. Am I going to die?’
“My arms weren’t doing what I wanted them to. They felt clumsy and my thoughts seemed to be in slow motion. The next thing I knew, I was collapsing onto the floor of my closet.”
