The Braves go in for a team cheer! Coach Jeff gives the team a pep talk while Ben eats donuts. Teammate waiting through a bad pitch! Ben in the outfield, waiting for a fly ball or a way to escape! Ben's personal cheering section! Teammate making it to first base. Coach Jeff Ben with his Buddy, Michelle As always, Logan and Sean woke with their usual question, "What are we doing today?" When I explained it was Saturday and we had Ben's first baseball game, I was not expecting the reaction I received: a hoot for excitement and a plea to make signs supporting Ben. We arrived at the field and almost every parking space was taken. The place was crowded, decorated with balloons and the music was blaring. I bit my lip because I felt the tears coming. At that exact moment Ryan told me he had goose bumps. In a crazed 15 minutes, we got Ben's uniform, met Coach Jeff and Ben's buddy, caught
These stories describe our journey with Ben, our oldest son. Ben is a sweet and energetic redhead, born with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic mutation. 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.