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I am honored to introduce Devon Lee Schwartz, born on April 24, 1998 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am writing this page without my wife's knowledge as sort of a surprise for her, simply to say "Thank You'" for being a wonderful mother and a wonderful wife. Devon is our only child and the joy of our lives, and I thought it appropriate to allow all of you to meet him through the resources of this wonderful web page. Devon is now 5 ½ years old as I write this biography, and I am overjoyed to share a few of our trials and tribulations that so many of you have also experienced as RTS parents, relatives and friends.
Devon was diagnosed with RTS at birth, thanks mostly to the prior experience of his pediatrician, who actually had another RTS patient some 20 years earlier. Devon certainly had all the common characteristics: arched palate, extensive hair, broad thumbs, great toes and undescended testicles, just to name a few. We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend the RTS conference in Cincinnati only 4 months after he was born. I think that really allowed my wife and I to realize that we were not alone in trying to deal with a "Special Needs" child. We took advantage of all the doctors in our area, along with the insight of Dr. Rubinstein and Dr. Taybi and were able to withstand 6 surgeries in the first 4 years of Devon's life. It appears that all surgeries are done, ,and all appear to be a complete success. I tip my hat to Devon for being a true warrior at such a young age. He is my idol!!
Devon has also been attending pre-school since before he turned age 1. He now attends a "Special Needs" kindergarten classroom and goes to school all day. He loves riding the bus and just recently lost his first tooth attempting to go down the slide headfirst. That is typical of his "No Fear" attitude.
Devon is still non verbal, but his receptive language is remarkable. We anxiously await the day when he will truly blurt out his first words. But, if that day never comes, we will continue to communicate through different avenues, and love him just the same. Devon loves to watch movies, play tickle, look at books, bounce on his bed, and play outside, but most of all, he simply enjoys being around other people, especially kids. Kids seem to make him laugh unlike anything else. Devon also loves to give hugs and kisses and occasionally will try to sneak into our bed in the middle of the night, but his snoring forces him back to his own bed more times than not. School has been the most rewarding part of his daily routine. We receive nothing but good reports about his behavior and his progress as he learns more and more.
I must also thank the two different day care providers that have spent significant time with Devon over the past five years. Their patience and discipline have only contributed to his growth as an infant and now as a toddler. I'm sure he has brought them some extra work over the years, but maybe they have found his company to be as fun and rewarding as we have.
It's amazing to watch Devon accomplish new tasks. Sometimes it may take months for him to finally figure something out, but when he does, his memory is unbelievable. That trait is what we're most proud of, simply because we know that he will be able to continue to learn and discover new things every day, and we are blessed to be part of that. We look forward to every new challenge, no matter how difficult. Even with our routines filled with so much stress and uncertainty, it's nice to simply watch Devon have an amazing zest for life.
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