Chance's
World 
Chance, Fall 2001, 8 1/2 yrs old
Chance
Updates 
Welcome
to a world filled with reptiles, amphibians and mammals!! A few bugs will
likely be thrown in here too....I love them all!! My name is Chance and
I am 7 years old. My life primarily revolves around the animals and bugs
of this world, and I hope to be a scientist of ALL things when I grow up.
Mom and dad tell me if any one can accomplish this, it will be me. ~Chance~
Now it is my turn to tell you all about my eldest kiddo!! Chance is an amazing kid and his dad and I are incredibly proud of him. He is an incredibly compassionate child that cares deeply about all the animals and bugs in this world. So much so that he is a vegetarian by his own choice (the rest of us are meat eaters), and he spends considerable amounts of time "saving" the creatures he finds that need help. He is very protective of his little sisters and is really a great big brother. As you can see in the picture above, he is a handsome child and those that know him love him very very much. He just endears himself to the adults in his life and all feel the need to protect and care for him. He truly has a beautiful soul.
Chance has overcome a great deal in his short life, and he is truly my hero. In March of 2001, we finally recieved a diagnosis that explains all the issues, and the course that they have taken over the years. His diagnosis is an unspecified Mitochondrial Disease, also known as Mito. So far, we do not know which defect is occuring, thus the unspecified part of it, but do know that Mito is the cause. For Chance, Mito presents as Atypical Autism, a neurological condition that causes deficits in social interaction and language development, Epilepsy (Complex Partial Seizures), Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Learning Differences, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Hypotonia, fine motor and self help developmental delays, speech and language delays,and Sensory Integration Dysfunction. All of this adds up to a complicated life for him to deal with, and for those that love him to find help for him. But we are doing our best, and Chance's accomplishments speak to the success we and his teachers, therapists and doctors have had so far. You can read all about Chance and his history here :-)
