$POUFOUTAcknowledgmentsChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33 "$,/08-&%(.&/54With deep appreciation, I’d like to thank all the wonderful individuals who dedicatetheir lives to children with special needs.I’d like to offer my special thanks and gratitude to the patient and devotedcaregivers at Echoing Lake Facilities, The Renouard Home, The Lucy Idol Center,Camp Cheerful, Stepping Stones, Camp Allyn, Bobbie Fairfax School, and RoselawnCondon School (extra thanks to Daphne Robinson).Thank you to my friend Karen Brantley, who really understands it all!And special thanks to my editor Caitlyn Dlouhy for her amazing skill, vision, andthat green editing pen! To my daughter,Wendy Michelle Draper, $)"15&3Words.*¼NTVSSPVOEFECZUIPVTBOETPGXPSET.BZCFNJMMJPOT$BUIFESBM.BZPOOBJTF1PNFHSBOBUF.JTTJTTJQQJ/FBQPMJUBO)JQQPQPUBNVT4JMLZ5FSSJGZJOH*SJEFTDFOU5JDLMF4OFF[F8JTI8PSSZ8PSET IBWF BMXBZT TXJSMFE BSPVOE NF MJLF TOPXGMBLFTÚFBDI POF EFMJDBUF BOE EJGGFSFOUFBDIPOFNFMUJOHVOUPVDIFEJONZIBOET%FFQ XJUIJO NF XPSET QJMF VQ JO IVHF ESJGUT .PVOUBJOT PG QISBTFT BOE TFOUFODFT BOEDPOOFDUFEJEFBT$MFWFSFYQSFTTJPOT+PLFT-PWFTPOHT'SPNUIFUJNF*XBTSFBMMZMJUUMFÚNBZCFKVTUBGFXNPOUITPMEÚ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can’t talk. I can’t walk. I can’t feed myself or take myself to the bathroom. Bigbummer..Z BSNT BOE IBOET BSF QSFUUZ TUJGG CVU * DBO NBTI UIF CVUUPOT PO UIF 57 SFNPUF BOENPWF NZ XIFFMDIBJS XJUI UIF IFMQ PG LOPCT UIBU * DBO HSBC PO UIF XIFFMT * DBO¼U IPME BTQPPO PS B QFODJM XJUIPVU ESPQQJOH JU "OE NZ CBMBODF JT MJLF [JQÚ)VNQUZ %VNQUZ IBENPSFDPOUSPMUIBO*EP8IFOQFPQMFMPPLBUNF *HVFTTUIFZTFFBHJSMXJUITIPSU EBSL DVSMZIBJSTUSBQQFEJOUPBQJOL XIFFMDIBJS #Z UIF XBZ UIFSF JT OPUIJOH DVUF BCPVU B QJOL XIFFMDIBJS 1JOL EPFTO¼UDIBOHFBUIJOH5IFZ¼ETFFBHJSMXJUIEBSLCSPXOFZFTUIBUBSFGVMMPGDVSJPTJUZ#VUPOFPGUIFNJTTMJHIUMZPVUPGXIBDL)FSIFBEXPCCMFTBMJUUMF4PNFUJNFTTIFESPPMT4IF¼TSFBMMZUJOZGPSBHJSMXIPJTBHFUFOBOEUISFFRVBSUFST)FSMFHTBSFWFSZUIJO QSPCBCMZCFDBVTFUIFZ¼WFOFWFSCFFOVTFE)FSCPEZUFOETUPNPWFPOJUTPXOBHFOEB XJUIGFFUTPNFUJNFTLJDLJOHPVUVOFYQFDUFEMZBOEBSNTPDDBTJPOBMMZGMBJMJOH DPOOFDUJOHXJUIXIBUFWFSJTDMPTFCZÚBTUBDLPG$%T BCPXMPGTPVQ BWBTFPGSPTFT/PUBXIPMFMPUPGDPOUSPMUIFSF"GUFSGPMLTHPUGJOJTIFENBLJOHBMJTUPGNZQSPCMFNT UIFZNJHIUUBLFUJNFUPOPUJDFUIBU*IBWFBGBJSMZOJDFTNJMFBOEEFFQEJNQMFTÚ*UIJOLNZEJNQMFTBSFDPPM*XFBSUJOZHPMEFBSSJOHT4PNFUJNFTQFPQMFOFWFSFWFOBTLNZOBNF MJLFJU¼TOPUJNQPSUBOUPSTPNFUIJOH*UJT.ZOBNFJT.FMPEZ* DBO SFNFNCFS XBZ CBDL UP XIFO * XBT SFBMMZ SFBMMZ ZPVOH 0G DPVSTF JU¼T IBSE UPTFQBSBUFSFBMNFNPSJFTGSPNUIFWJEFPTPGNFUIBU%BEUPPLPOIJTDBNDPSEFS*¼WFXBUDIFEUIPTFUIJOHTBNJMMJPOUJNFT.PN CSJOHJOH NF IPNF GSPN UIF IPTQJUBMÚIFS GBDF TIPXJOH TNJMFT CVU IFS FZFTTRVJOUFEXJUIXPSSZ.FMPEZ UVDLFE JOUP B UJOZ CBCZ CBUIUVC .Z BSNT BOE MFHT MPPLFE TP TLJOOZ * EJEO¼UTQMBTIPSLJDL.FMPEZQSPQQFEXJUICMBOLFUTPOUIFMJWJOHSPPNTPGBÚBMPPLPGDPOUFOUNFOUPONZGBDF*OFWFSDSJFENVDIXIFO*XBTBCBCZ.PNTXFBSTJU¼TUSVF.PN NBTTBHJOH NF XJUI MPUJPO BGUFS B CBUIÚ* DBO TUJMM TNFMM UIF MBWFOEFSÚUIFOXSBQQJOHNFJOBGMVGGZUPXFMXJUIBMJUUMFIPPECVJMUJOUPPOFDPSOFS%BEUPPLWJEFPTPGNFHFUUJOHGFE HFUUJOHDIBOHFE BOEFWFONFTMFFQJOH"T*HPUPMEFS *