My name is Ellen. I am mom to a boy\/girl set of twins.\u00a0 Each of my children have Tourette Syndrome, but they are on different scales. My son, Ben, has had severe TS since age 6. My daughter has a mild form of TS.\u00a0 I am happy to say that both of them are in college now.\u00a0But it has been a hard road to reach that goal.<\/p>\n
As a family, we never let TS get in the way of most everything in life, whether it was a B’nai Mitzvahs, going to college or traveling. Around age 10, we took our kids out west to the national parks.<\/p>\n
While on that trip, my son had the urge to climb up over the fences on cliffs, which meant we had to hold hands and be next to him at all times.\u00a0 He also would be shouting out animal sounds repetitively a nd at one point almost got hit by a truck while we were at a lookout of the gorgeous mountains. At times, he took a rest or nap since just the time difference knocked him for a loop.\u00a0On arrival in Wyoming, he slept for 16 hours straight!<\/p>\n
TS still makes life challening, but my son’s motivation and joy for life has domineered rather than his limits. He has had the determination and perserverance to be active, be an advocate for himself .\u00a0 I am amazed about both children’s accomplishments.\u00a0My daughter has been supportive towards her brother whose needs sometimes took our energy away from her.<\/p>\n