My Third Grandchild
That's me with my 3rd grandchild, Ilyas. Younger daughter Alissa married Ajiniaz in Nukus, Uzbekistan a few years after meeting him while serving in the Peace Corps (for 30 months). I was the wedding photographer. Ilyas was four last week. When Ilyas was 15 months old, Lissy noticed that he was not developing as expected. He was tested and the diagnosis was that he had a mild case of cerebral palsy. About a year later he was diagnosed as autistic. Through it all Alissa has proved to be a great mother. She works tirelessly with Illy. Having a challenged child in the family has brought us all closer together. And it has given me the opportunity to spend some of my kids' inheritance on Ilyas's therapy. More than anything, Ilyas loves to run. Once when visiting Florida he was running up and down a sloped driveway holding Maya's hand. They were running too fast and wham, Illy fell face down into a mud puddle. He stood up looking bewildered, hesistated, and then went back to the top of the driveway so that he could run down again at full speed. Alissa is hoping that Ilyas will be able to have a life filled with love and happiness and is open to the various possibilities.
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Originally Posted by Nicki Gwynn Jones
