When I was a baby my eyes would get stuck; kind of like I was looking at my nose. They call this cross-eyed. At the time, my doctor thought I had Neuroblastoma (a brain tumor). With a lot of prayers from my family and further testing, my mommy and daddy were told I did not have a tumor. Instead, I was diagnosed with a few other things, but none of those would take me away from my family.

I have never had many words and that frustrates me, so I pick on people sometimes, but I do love to share hugs and kisses. When we were younger, my little brother would say I was Austistic (Autistic) and he was Ticable (Typical), which means he was like other kids and I was not. Whatever we both were, we were chosen for a wonderful journey that most other families do not get to make! If you are reading my story, you and your family may have been chosen for a special journey like us.

When I was 7 years old my mommy could not find a provider to come help with me. We waited on a list for a year with no phone calls at all. Seeing how many families needed help, my mommy had become a provider for other children with special needs to help their families. She then decided to open a company that would help families find the providers that they needed. My speech therapist then asked my mommy if she would buy her clinic, it was called Southwest Speech Services. That is how Wee Care Corporation got started.

We were able to find a provider that stayed with me for a long time. She helped me with daily life skill goals (Habilitation) and provide my family with much-needed breaks (Respite) because I required a lot of care. My provider took me out in the community, went with my family to parties and many other places, stayed home with me so mommy and daddy could go out alone sometimes, and cared for me.

It took a lot of time, but I was able to learn some signs to help my family understand my wants and needs. With assistance, I was able to learn how to pick up items, do snaps on clothing, get a cup when I wanted a drink, and many other things.

My speech therapist suggested that my mom take me to the doctor when she noticed I was having trouble swallowing. After a few tests, we found out that some of my food was going into my lung and I had to do some intense feeding therapy. Just like some of my friends at Wee Care, I ended up needing to get a tube in my belly to eat and drink because my swallowing just would not work right. I can tell you that I have been a lot happier and less sick since then. Thank goodness Mrs. Pattie was watching over me.

My other therapists have helped me with fine and gross motor skills.

I am now entering my adult life and that is very exciting. Many of my caregivers are also my peers. I recently learned how to scroll and tap on the phone independently so that I can see the things that I like. I also learned how to call my mom and dad on facetime and sometimes I call my other family members too. I have graduated High School, attended prom, gone surfing, attended zoo lights, gone to the splash pad, and many other places. I will share some pictures so you can see that I am living my best life. I hope you are too!

My journey has included many doctors, specialists, therapists, direct support providers, services, nurses, and of course my family. Together we are a team, and we go through some very hard times and some very blessed times. Each person along my journey has helped me and my family learn and grow.

As I have learned and grown, so has Wee Care. Wee Care has grown from just Speech Therapy to providing Speech, Feeding, Occupational, and Physical Therapy Services to many people in need. We also provide Habilitation, Respite, and Attendant Care support.

We love to help families like us! We even have a lot of Special Families that work with us in our Company. We always welcome new Families, Direct Support Providers, and Therapists as we love to create special bonds between people.

Thank you for reading my story. I look forward to updating you as I continue to live a life less restricted.