Easy Out On Third Raising A Child With Special Needs

This is a story about children with special needs, and the joys and challenges that come along with raising them. It's about making them fit in and feel like they belong in the world. It offers hope and inspiration. This is my story. I will walk you through the journey I have taken raising my thirteen-year-old son, Bobby. It's a journey many have taken, but few have chosen. He was born with a club foot, mild cerebral palsy, and has developed other delays and disabilities. If you met Bobby, you might not even realize he's disabled, at first. If you spent a few minutes with him, you would realize he was a little slow or delayed. It's as if he is a ten- or eleven-year-old, in a thirteen-year-old's body. His brain is always a couple of years behind his body. Bobby is also very tall for his age, so he appears even older than he is, which only makes it harder. I have raised three typical children. They are now young adults and are well on their way to independence. They rely on me mostly for financial help or occasional guidance. Eventually, they will be on their own and live their lives as they choose. I fear Bobby will never be able to live on his own. I worry about his fate after my husband and I are gone. What will become of him? Friends and family, including his older brothers, assure me they will care for him, but I don't think any of them realize the enormous responsibility he is.