Anybody check out my Central Park Challenge page lately? After walking on Saturday morning I had told you that we had reached $835 in donations. Well, the walk has been walked but the mission continued. This afternoon I got an email thatour fundraising total for YAI has reached $935!! That is only $65 short of the goal I set a week and a half ago! Unbelievable!!!
I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate and respect each person who helped make this possible. I know how hard times are right now; none of this money was just chillin' in your pocket with nothing to do. This money is going to a cause that is dear to my heart.
I have been thinking a lot lately about my brother. I have never fully shared his story and think this is a wonderful time to try. At age two and a half Peter had a seizure. It scared my parents to death, as he had been born perfectly healthy and they could not figure out where this had come from. Soon after he had another. And another. Epilepsy had taken over, and continued until he was five. I remember him having one once, and my mother throwing us in the car to race to the doctor. We would run him inside and I would watch as the doctor would ask, "Peter, where is Momma? Can you say hello?" He would cry and scream until he fell asleep. When he woke up everything was alright again.
But one time, that was not the case. After one seizure Peter recovered but would not talk. Not just in that moment, but ever. He was silent, and became significantly less responsive to language overall. Even his own name. He was ultimately diagnosed with Landau Kleffner Syndrome. This disease causes damage to the part of the brain that handles language and comprehension. It's effects are similar to autism. To this day, doctors still do not know what happened.
Growing up for Peter was obviously difficult. School was a challenge, as was his social life. Many of his peers taunted and teased him. I remember he used to cry as a child because he would get so frustrated that he could not communicate with us. As he got older, he would cry because he had come to realize he was "different." It angered him that he would not be able to live life like the rest of us do. I watched as Peter's spirit began to melt away. Not because of his disability, but because he foresaw a life of limitation and ridicule.
Luckily, we were able to get Peter involved in a number of programs similar to those offered by YAI. Special Sitters helped my parents find specialized babysitters. Supported Employment has helped him get skill training and on-the-job experience. He is even working on getting his license through Rochester Rehabilitation's specialized driving school.
I have seen him grow more confident with each day. He and I have spend hours on Skype talking through homework, working on job applications, talking about relationships, playing Red Alert (he always beats me in 2 minutes flat,) and sharing stories from his horseback riding class or my adventures in the city. He is a master of video games and WWII trivia. He can name every military aircraft ever built and tell you when and why it was designed. He is the most big-hearted, caring young gentleman I know. He is my biggest fan, as I am to him.
We will never know why Peter's life was changed, but he does not deserve to feel like any less of a person. It was not his fault. Yet, it is his battle to win. The programs he took part in have helped him learn to master his world. YAI does this every day for hundreds of people just like Peter. So I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting YAI.
And remember: no one had the right to take away Peter's happiness just because he was different, and that goes for every single living human on this earth. Just because something is new or different to you does not mean it is bad. Take the time to understand that persons world before you say or do something to hurt them. Even if you think it is a joke, you never know how much it may break them inside. Be a healer. Spread love, share compliments, and give support. Someday you may need the same.
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