Sometimes during early pregnancy, a baby's heart fails to form properly, resulting in structural abnormalities known as Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). CHD is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide. Despite the fact that CHD affects approximately 1.8 millions families in the U.S., a relatively small amount of funding is currently available for parent/patient educational services, research, and support.
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Stories of Caring is a testimonial that we share with you, our donors, so you can learn about how the dollars you donate help real people in Kansas and Missouri and how Community Health Charities helps to connect people with trusted member charities nationwide every day.
Bradley was my third and last child. We had a healthy daughter and a son who was developmentally delayed and was receiving therapies and attending Easter Seals to help him catch up. Not having a "diagnosis" was extremely frustrating for me. When we found out I was having another boy, I told my husband that this one would be his athlete. God had other plans for us and for Bradley. At 4 months of age we found out that he has very little vision.
Bradley was my third and last child. We had a healthy daughter and a son who was developmentally delayed and was receiving therapies and attending Easter Seals to help him catch up. Not having a "diagnosis" was extremely frustrating for me. When we found out I was having another boy, I told my husband that this one would be his athlete. God had other plans for us and for Bradley. At 4 months of age we found out that he has very little vision. Needless to say it was devastating. Therapists started working with him, doing most of the same therapies my older son was receiving...physical, occupational and speech. But at 2 years of age he was more delayed than totally blind children.
After much testing and no answers (here we go again, I thought) I started reading everything I could and finally realized he had autism, which was then confirmed by the doctor. The plans I had made for him in my mind taking his vision into consideration just flew right out the window. But Bradley, unlike many with autism, has a wonderful sense of humor and laughs his way through life. I've been told by the experts that he is almost genius level intelligence. He was about 10 words he can say and uses sign language for the rest. Thanks to the Medwaivers program he now lives during the week at a beautiful educational center for people with autism. When I found out that Autism Speaks needed to do research on the brains of people with autism after death, I promptly signed on to donate Bradley's. He won't need it and hopefully it will help the scientific community to unlock the mystery of autism.
Bradley is my hero and joy! Also, at the age of 15, my older son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is also a form of autism. It is a sometimes frustrating but also fascinating condition. Both of my boys are very interesting and intelligent people. We have donated blood for studies that involve families that have more than one person with autism. And they're famous! The book, Courageous Souls, written by Robert Schwartz has a chapter (3) that is all about us. I can't imagine my life with them any different than it is. I wouldn't have chosen it to be this way, but I truly feel we have taken those lemons and made lemonade.
Sometimes during early pregnancy, a baby's heart fails to form properly, resulting in structural abnormalities known as Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). CHD is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide. Despite the fact that CHD affects approximately 1.8 millions families in the U.S., a relatively small amount of funding is currently available for parent/patient educational services, research, and support. 
