An angel of a boy - with Angelman syndrome
Published: November 18, 2005
Family builds character
Stephanie Fore and her husband Craig would like to share someone special with the residents of Covington County. Their son Brady, 3 years of age, has a genetic syndrome called the Angelman Syndrome.
This syndrome causes frequent laughter, easy excitability, hand flipping, seizures, little or no speech, developmental delays and more. These children are called Angels; this could not be more fitting.
“Brady is an Angel. He brings such joy to our lives and others around him. We have been blessed with so many wonderful friends and family,” said his mother.
As little Brady played with his blocks, every so often he would look at Stephanie with nothing but joy in his eyes and all she could do was smile back.
“He has helped us to grow as individuals and as a family. Our life is not what we planned or could have ever expected. We spend our days praying for no seizures, doing therapies, making trips to Birmingham to the neurologist and wondering will we be able to afford the things that Brady needs,” said Fore. “We are unable to qualify for Medicaid or SSI, but thank goodness we are able to get help through CRS.”
The Fores have had a rough time dealing with the negative aspects of the Angelman Syndrome,. Every day they pray that Brady doesn’t have a seizure or any other health problems. But, they remember that they would not trade Brady for the world.
“Brady has the most precious little smile. We have been blessed with so many wonderful friends and family. We just didn’t know how lucky we were until little
Brady came into our lives,” said Fore.
Every mother has big plans for her child while the child is still in the womb. The mothers all want their child to grow up and become successful adults. But, what happens when a doctor tells you that your child is not normal, he has a slight defect?
“It is an uphill battle or at least it feels that way most of the time. I had big plans before he was born, to stay home until both boys got in school and then go back to work,” said Fore.
She continued, “I know how hard it is for a parent to not know what’s wrong with your child. If by telling our story, one parent or one doctor reads this and recognizes that they have a child with these symptoms and gets some type closure, then it’s all been worth it.”
Parents who have children with Angelman Syndrome are trying to get December 24 declared Andgelman Awareness Day. They want people to become aware of the syndrome and what the symptoms are.
“We are sending pictures and letters to many television shows in hopes that they will do a show on Angelman Syndrome,” said Fore.
The parents have formed something like a support group. This group has set up blogs on the internet where you can go and see pictures of the happy children and their families.
“I belong to a list called the Angelman listserve, it is a list of parents, loved ones, and caregivers of Angelman children. We are trying to get the word out to help people recognize and understand this syndrome,” said Fore.
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