We visited the NC Transportation Museum to see part of an exhibit with famous trains from all over the country. While there, I saw an older, almost elderly, man and woman pushing three wheelchaired adults. What I noticed lead me to several questions and many conclusions: It was an obvious struggle for them, especially the woman who was pushing one wheelchair. I assumed this was a group home on an outing. I also saw that one chair did not have foot rests. The person's feet were just dangling. I was glad the group home was out on a field trip, but I really thought they were understaffed and perhaps needed younger, more healthier looking personnel. It made me think of Ben's future and his care. My curiosity got the better of me. When Ben and I caught up to them, I said hello and acknowledged that they must have a hard time pushing three wheelchairs with just two of them. I asked the man how come they were short-staffed. He looked at me slowly, very slowly. He looked at the woman
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.