Kaylee Prays for the NNY Autism Center

Everyday and every meal we try to instill in our children our thankfulness to God for all that He provides by saying a simple prayer thanking Him, asking for His help, and praising Him for His goodness. I keep it very simple but the most important thing is that our children are aware of His constant presence and that they understand that He is the giver of all our good things.

Kaylee has been thanking God for Mommy, Daddy, school or whatever else comes to her mind...but lately, I have been thinking how Kaylee can pray for the NNY Autism Center.

The NNY Autism Center is where we took Kaylee a year ago to see Dr. Bruce Russell, for her biomedical intervention. We flew all the way from Chicago to Buffalo, then drove another 4 hours to get to a small little town called Black River.

I was expecting some sort of big building, all industrial, modern, cold. What I found was completely different. Here in the middle of a small town, was a house made into a modest office where some very special people are helping kids recover from autism, one child at a time.

Inside of this "office" is some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met. Namely Kathy Robertson, the director and nurse practioner. Mrs. Robertson has a grown daughter who has recovered from autism. Many a times I have called her, close to tears, and she has listened and spurred me on to keep going. She helped point me in the right direction when Kaylee's allergies were out of control, helped me figure out what to do when Kaylee regressed due to Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.

The people at the NNY Autism Center either make a very small hourly wage or nothing at all. They work hard to earn money through a non-profit organization to help pay for kids to get the treatment they need. In a world of charletons taking advantage of desperate parents with promises of cures, these are people who truly care.

It brings tears to my eyes to think of how they have been there for me, and how they haven't given up even though their treatments aren't what is "famous" right now. I am so grateful for them.

So now every night at bedtime, Kaylee and I pray for the NNY Autism Center, Miss Kathy, Miss Sheri, and Dr. Bruce, that God would bless them mightily, provide money for them, and bless their families. For now, Kaylee doesn't really understand why we pray this way, but I know one day she will...