meet
the kids
Josh :: 6 years old – First Grade
Up until his four-month check up, Josh appeared to be a healthy baby boy. But everything changed when his pediatrician ordered an MRI of his brain. Josh was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He would never walk, have only limited use of his hands and little chance of being able to speak.
Now in the first grade, Josh only uses non-verbal cues to hint at what he is thinking. Even though she has no proof, Josh’s mother, Dawn holds to the belief that her little boy is trying to communicate with a world that does not want to listen. His school is unclear what Josh understands or if he is capable of learning at all. Against all odds, Dawn continues to fight for Josh’s right to be taught like any other child. Without the ability to communicate effectively on his own, Dawn is Josh’s only hope.
Colin :: 9 years old – Third Grade
Imagine depending on a computer to say every idea you’d like to communicate. Now imagine you can’t use your hands to type and each word has to be entered using a stick strapped to the center of your forehead. Meet Colin, a 10-year old boy with enough charm to make any girl smile with just a twinkle of his eye.
His communication device enabled him to progress through the first two years of school, but the faster pace of third grade challenges Colin’s ability to keep up. His mother, Deby, desires to have her son taught alongside typical children, but that dream gradually slips away as he begins to spend less time in the regular classroom and more time in one-on-one special instruction
His school is considering placing him on a separate education track without the chance of earning a high school diploma, a path Deby desperately fights against. At the young age of ten, Colin’s future hangs in the balance.
Kay :: 12 years old – Sixth Grade
Though she is able to speak, only those who know her well can understand. Cerebral palsy limits her mobility and communication skills, but not her spirit. A born leader, Kay, along with her mother, Sandy, take on stereotypes at every corner they turn.
The next corner happens to be middle school. When Kay’s wheelchair rolls up to the doors of her new school, the teachers don’t exactly meet her with open arms. They worry that her presence in the classroom will take their attention away from other students. With middle school comes merciless teasing, higher expectations, multiple teachers, multiple classrooms, and chaotic hallways. Sandy readies herself for a long year of advocating for her child. Kay readies herself for the same battle she’s always had to fight…to prove herself.