i am on a roll tonight!

one more post for this evening & by far the most important one.

when i first moved here i found affinity family care , a great organization designed to help families with children that have special needs. i worked as a respite therapist with matthew, a sweet little 3 year old with williams syndrome. ws is similar to autism, but with these unique symptoms: distinctive "elfin" facial appearance, an unusually cheerful demeanor and ease with strangers, (except children- their loud voices are rather disturbing to matt), extreme sensitivity to noises, unpredictable occurring negative outbursts, unusual language skills, a love for music, and health problems, especially cardiovascular.

i've stayed very close with his family after i left & officially started my photography business. i try to see him every few months & help out as often as i can. his mom & grandmother are amazing women that are so very dedicated to him. when i first started two years ago he couldn't talk. while i worked there he learned simple signs, but was still very frustrated from his lack of being able to communicate. i saw him about 2 months ago & was shocked by his improvement. i opened the door to "hi, miss megan!" i almost had a heart attack. i worked with him for 4 days that week while his grandmother was recovering from throwing her back out. he sang songs to me, answered questions & was so much happier. the wheels on the bus never sounded sweeter. if i can remember how to convert video i'll have to put up one of the clips. so precious.

here are some cute pics of matt from my last visit.



i'm posting about matt, not just to show off a cutie, but his mom is running/raising money for the phoenix children's hospital half-marathon. matt spends quite a bit of time there, and even though he is terrified of doctors & even their buildings, the staff there has been great with matt. if you're looking for a great cause to support click on this page. every penny helps!
thank you.