A Devine Destination

I believe everything happens for a reason.

When the family first found out that my brother and his wife were having twin boys everyone was so excited. It was the first time any of us had brought twins into this world after my dad. His offspring was destined to carry the twin gene. When the twins arrived, everybody was jumping for joy, especially my dad, since he was a twin himself. After a year had gone by, my brother’s life changed, including everyone around him. The twins were diagnosed with autism.

One of the twins had mild autism and the other had it severe. My brother had to adjust to a new life. He had to buy different kind of food, accommodate a special room, and have extra patience, all for the boys. The twin with mild autism went on to grow normally but with the other one, it was a much slower process. With the help of weekly visits from therapists, the boys were learning the basics of what a toddler would usually learn on its own. We saw major improvement in both the boys. One of them started preschool at age 3 and the other one started a couple months later.

My sister in law was dedicated to educate herself. She did a lot of research, and tried to gain as much knowledge as possible so she could understand the twins better. She went from being able to hang out with the family, to not coming around as much. My brother on the other hand, had to maintain the household. He worked two jobs night and day and still had to come home and give his wife a little break. My brother and his family have had a lot of support from many people. Family and friends have participated in the “Race for Autism” and have helped them financially by giving them gift cards to Henry’s and Whole Foods Market.

Researchers are still not sure the cause of Autism, and who knows how long it will take. The good thing is there are early intervention programs that help parents with Autistic children. Parents are taught how to handle, talk, teach, and most importantly understand their children. I admire my brother for being there for his family regardless of the changes and struggles that life has brought him. Everyone has adapted to a different lifestyle and continue to smile from ear to ear. Things like this happen to certain people for a reason. It is said that these children are a gift from god and it is a test one must surpass, and my brother and his family have done a great job in trying to do so.