“Special needs kids live in such a happy place. Like, you can only be a special person to be so happy that even when you’re sick or hurting, it doesn’t really register. That’s Willy.”
Welcome to Willy’s world.
Over 16 years ago, this bright-eyed boy made his entrance as the fourth and youngest child in his family. After having three kids before him, Willy’s mom, Melissa, knew a lot about what to expect in those early days with a newborn. That’s why when her newest son seemed to be acting differently in the hospital, she had a feeling that something was off.
“Almost immediately, he had failure to thrive,” she told us. “He just couldn’t seem to master the mechanics of eating and swallowing and was having a hard time gaining weight because of it.”