Meet our friends

Niko was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months. "I aways had a sense that something was off, but all the people around me had the same things to say, boys progress slower," said Mother Kim Rico. "One day when I picked Niko up from daycare, the teacher, who happened to be a dear friend, said you should get him checked.

The first person who said what I had thought all along. I began to research what was available for me to find out and what it was exactly that I should get checked. Next thing I knew, I was in a neurologist’s office, and he said, “your son has autism”. To be honest, I didn’t really know what autism was. He shook my hand and sent us on our way. The social worker said “Kim, you’re going to love Niko for Niko”. I honestly believed it was a speech delay and we would have classes and life would be fine. Autism? Then, this sense of calm came over me and I have remained that way for this journey. Niko was the happiest kid! It was

me who worried. Will he have friends? Will he ever work? Will he have a girlfriend, get married and have kids? If I let those thoughts haunt me, I would be paralyzed with fear. Funny thing was it was Niko who taught me so much more than I could ever teach him. It has been an honor to be his mom. Today, he has held the same job for 8 years, loves Nascar, dining out, movies, his family and so much more. 

 Tori is a 27-year-old, who sustained a severe Traumatic Brain Injury at the age of 2yrs old, due to a local horrific MVA. She has extensive cognitive & physical injuries, including losing her ability to speak, and walk. She is fully dependent on others for her day-to-day care & social engagement. Even with all her limitations, Tori loves to be involved in the community.  Some of her favorite activities include music & dance parties with her peers. She enjoys being outside, riding her adaptive bike along the Capital Trail with her dad, and participating in adaptive surfing, adaptive skiing, and splashing around in a pool.  She also does therapeutic horseback riding, bowling and takes part in the local special needs book club at the library, going to Buddy Art & Buddy Baseball, and has even done Indoor Skydiving!
 

Dimi is truly amazing. He spends most of his time on his adaptive bike and even participates in races with his mother Debbie. He loves church, his Bible and his dog Koa and never misses an opportunity to show someone a cool car. Dimi is 24 and has MEPC2 Duplex Syndrome.  MECP2 Duplication Syndrome is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a wide variety of symptoms including low muscle tone (hypotonia), potentially severe intellectual disability, developmental delays, recurrent respiratory infections, speech abnormalities, seizures, and progressive spasticity, a condition characterized by muscle stiffness that is worsened with movement and can be associated with involuntary muscle spasms. He and his mother have recently traveled to Texas and Philadelphia for clinical trials in hopes to find a cure.