Max, ten, and Mimi, six, are siblings in Anne Arundel County born with a rare genetic defect causing intellectual disabilities. So rare, doctors told their mother Stephanie it wouldn't happen twice. Mimi also has Spina Bifida. Both children have epilepsy, hydrocephalus, and are non-verbal.

 

Max loves to learn, run and play, but he can easily wipe-out a room when he's frustrated.

 

Last year, Stephanie and Mimi were both injured in a car accident. Mimi spent six months in the hospital and now her needs are greater and more complicated than before. The family needs help to care for both children.

 

"We have refinanced our house to hire help to care for the children at home," says Stephanie through her tears. She is fighting efforts to cancel the family's health insurance.

 

"I hate that we're seen as just a problem," cries Stephanie. "My children are so beautiful. Max and Mimi have many of the same likes and dislikes as you and me."

 

She admires their unbridled joy and how much they have endured in and out of the hospital, without complaint. She says, "I try every day to make people understand that our children are not to be feared, but enjoyed."

 

Both children qualify for DDA services but neither can access them due to the long waiting list and lack of funding. And Stephanie adds, "Everything is a fight…and I'm so tired of fighting."

 

 

Please invest in the resolution of the issue before the damage becomes even more overwhelming. Invest in citizens of Maryland with developmental disabilities. www.endthewaitnow.com