Amden Alecole H - Family Connection of South Carolina

Amden Alecole H, age 12

Photograph by Amy Keely (2022)

Amden is a very happy, free-spirited child. He has a big heart and loves his family and his cats. He loves bubbles, swimming, and playing Sonic and Mario Kart on his Nintendo. He enjoys making connections with people.

Amden was born with Down syndrome and diagnosed with autism at the age of four. He is nonverbal. He has had a lot to overcome. His parents were told he likely wouldn’t be able to read, walk or do math. Through hard work in therapy, Amden is reading, writing and doing math. He can also type and speak with a vocal device. The first time his mom, Amber, heard him read a book, she cried.

Amber says life with Amden is very interesting and she’s proud of him every day.

“Amden makes me feel complete—he gives me a purpose. He has taught me that it’s OK to be imperfect—the messy things are what makes life great” she says. ”I never thought I could love someone so much.”

Mom wants people to know that Amden wants what any 12-year-old wants, to be loved and to be happy.

Amden es un niño muy feliz y de espíritu libre. Tiene un gran corazón y ama a su familia y a sus gatos. Le encantan las burbujas, nadar y jugar a Sonic y Mario Kart en su Nintendo. Le gusta conectar con la gente.

Amden nació con síndrome de Down y se le diagnosticó autismo a los cuatro años. No es verbal. Ha tenido que superar muchas cosas. A sus padres les dijeron que probablemente no sería capaz de leer, caminar o hacer matemáticas. Gracias al duro trabajo en la terapia, Amden está leyendo, escribiendo y haciendo matemáticas. También puede teclear y hablar con un aparato vocal. La primera vez que su madre, Amber, le oyó leer un libro, lloró.

Amber dice que la vida con Amden es muy interesante y que está orgullosa de él cada día.

“Amden me hace sentir completa, me da un propósito. Me ha enseñado que no pasa nada por ser imperfecta: las cosas desordenadas son las que hacen grande la vida”, dice. “Nunca pensé que podría amar tanto a alguien”.

Mamá quiere que la gente sepa que Amden quiere lo que cualquier niño de 12 años, ser amado y ser feliz.

Family Connection of South Carolina provides services and resources to families who have a child with a disability or specialized healthcare need. Since 1990 we have served more than 100,000 families and today our services are needed more than ever. We focus on parent-to-parent support, guidance with navigating the complex healthcare system, and assistance with school meetings and special education plans.