CNNMoney:
When Tony and Terri Schwager learned that their first child, Anthony, was developmentally delayed and had epilepsy, they worried themselves sick.
‘We couldn’t help but think, ‘What is going to happen to Anthony when we move on?’ ‘ says Terri. ‘He is very sweet, gentle, and quiet. We were afraid that someone might take advantage of him.’
By the time Anthony’s parents learned of his condition, a result of low oxygen during birth, he was 1. When they discovered it, they looked for resources. They enrolled Anthony in a special-education program and hired caretakers to supplement their efforts.
Tony, then a manager at Home Depot, went back to school to further his career. The couple eventually had 3 more children and settled into their routines, grateful for their close-knit family. Tony landed a job as a teacher at a local high school; Terri earned a nursing degree and also started working.
‘A kid with a disability… when it happens, you realize it is not the end of the world,’ says Tony. Still, they worried about the future. How would they take care of Anthony after they retired?
But then, to their surprise, Anthony himself found the answer. Read full story.
Photo: Colby Lysne.
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