Ryan and I marvel at how each of our sons are getting bigger, stronger and wiser. It usually hits us when one of them falls asleep on a couch and we have to carry them to their beds or they say or do something that catches us off guard. At two years old, Logan stood up for Ben when their pediatrician did not offer Ben a sticker, the usual prize after finishing an appointment. I could hear the indignation in Logan's voice even then, "Ben needs a sticker too." This theme of not leaving Ben out has carried through to this day: Ben has a morning "To Do" list, he gets daily Class DoJo points and he has a Reward system too. All of these were prompted by either Logan or Sean. If I do not include Ben, I am quickly reminded by one of the brothers with a "how dare you" attitude. Logan and Sean take responsibility and ownership for how to get the best for Ben so that he can succeed. They are not afraid to speak up to adults and children. They take pride
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.