Posted on February 28, 2025
We marked our brother Michael’s 47th birthday!
Mike was born with some acute and complex diagnoses. Honestly, his medical chart and diagnoses don’t define who he is to us. The profound beauty he has brought to this world is nothing short of magical.
Michael is what experts used to define as “non-verbal,” but he’s anything but. He has sounds that tell us what he means, looks that tell us he loves us and is happy to be together, and he smells our hair and skin in a way that has always felt to me he was taking in our time together to take back to his home. He has grasps of hands at different intensities, leg movements that show us when he is ready to get up and walk, signs for “want,” and different types of walks that show his excitement or loathe for making him get up.
Michael is ours and we are his. We never thought he would live to be 30, let alone 47 and have a quality of life that he quite literally loves. His nurses and care team (FAMILY) at Penn-Mar Human Services, Carroll Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Hospital are incredible. Life has been bumpy along the way with medical challenges, falls, seizures, feeding tube issues, infections, and more. The advocacy of my parents was exhausting for them, but they never stopped fighting for Michael’s rights, knowing that he deserved to live the highest quality of life possible with the best support possible. It felt never ending at times; the hospital stays, the terrifying moments where we thought “is this one it?”. But he always manages to pull through in a miracle moment – of course with great medical staff, advocacy, and care – but also sometimes with just purely a miracle.
Michael is the one who changed the fibers of our family. The foundation of my sister Beth and me, our children, our family members, our parents, and how we see the world, is different.
Happy 47th birthday to our guy whose eyes and spirit bring joy and happiness. He knows how to show love and joy – in this world today, we are blessed for our gift that is Michael.
Much love, brother, to the moon and back.