When it was time for Ben to visit a dentist for the first time, a mom I met in a doctor's waiting room suggested a pediatric dentist who was comfortable seeing young patients with disabilities. This recommended dentist has treated our boys' for more than 20 years. When Ben aged out, the dentist told us to stay with him; he'd keep seeing Ben despite his age. As Ben got older and stronger, it became difficult to get him on the table and clean his teeth. By last spring, with both my husband, myself and two dental staff helping, we couldn't get Ben on the table safely. He had more fight in him than the four of us. The dentist said some of his patients go to the hospital every 18 to 24 months for cleanings, x-rays and other routine procedures. We agreed it was time to make this change. In the meantime, Ben re-chipped a front tooth he'd damaged in second grade on the playground. We added "fix chipped tooth" to the list. Through the dentist's office, we bo...
These stories describe our journey with Ben, our oldest son. Ben is a sweet and energetic redhead, born with POLR2A, a rare genetic change. My husband, Ryan, and I try to keep up with Ben and his two younger brothers. I intend to shed insight into raising a child with disabilities and pass on the wisdom we’ve earned over the past two decades.