Sam

  Our oldest Sam, will be 16 soon. He is very private, but I got his permission for this post. Sam was born when I was 20 years old. I had a really tough pregnancy! I was on bed rest, had ALL day sickness, premature labor,(thankfully the DR. could stop it) among other things. When he was born, his heart rate dropped too low, and they had to use measures to get him out quickly. It was a little scary! I was young, and he was our first. When he was 18 months, he was not walking or talking. I addressed these concerns with our DR. She was also a little concerned, and suggested I contact Ottawa Area Center. We had Sam evaluated at that time by a speech therapist.
   Her name was Val, a great therapist. She came over to our house and evaluated him. She told me that he acted, and had only met the bench markers of a 6-8 month old! A little overwhelming! Sam immediately started therapy! I read any and every book I could get my hands on child development... anything that could possibly help.
   Sam slowly began to say words, along with signing words, we had showed Sam.  He was very uncomfortable around others! Stayed to himself, things always had to be done in the same order. Change of any kind completely set him off! He continued therapy till kindergarten. Than he started seeing the school therapist. It was just a struggle for everything with him! I tried diet changes, different supplements, we saw ALL kinds of alternative medicine DRs... anything and everything!!! Finally when he was 7, he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and anxiety. It was heart breaking!! PDD-NOS is on the autism spectrum. But...we kept going, and working! Trying everything! I honestly would cry to Jeremy, because I thought he would never be able to leave the house as an adult. There were just soooo many struggles and issues we were working with.
   But... With hard work on our part, therapist, and a ton of work from Sam, and LOTS of prayers, He is now in the 10th grade, taking AP classes, and has been on the honor roll since  the 6th grade!!!!!!! He is so smart! He is one of my biggest blessings! He is responsible, funny, and a great kid! I am crying writing this, thinking of all our struggles, and all our victories! He is growing into being a great man! He is a true testament of what hard work and prayers can do! He is still shy, but you would never know he struggled with all the things that he did! He is just a normal teenager, who rolls his eyes at his Mom and Dad, and picks on his brothers and sister. :)