Brooke's Story

Images Captured by Matt Brennan

www.matt-brennan.com

Meet Tiny Light Brooke. She is a creative young girl who enjoys singing, dancing, drawing and reading. She also has an amazing spirit, which is demonstrated through her cheerleading.


At age six, Brooke was diagnosed with Childhood Epilepsy. Her disorder is characterized by absence seizures; seizures that cannot be seen, but are frequent. Her future with the disorder is uncertain as medical professionals do not know whether or not she will grow out of it. One of the most difficult things her family has had to accept is that the disorder is out of their control. To cope with this, they have learned to stay positive and fuel their energy and love towards Brooke.


Brooke’s parents hope that their Tiny Light will have “...her own dreams, no matter how big or small they are.” Every day they encourage her to be strong, smart and brave. Their dream is that her disorder “...never holds her back from living her life the way she wants to.”


Brooke’s disorder has brought her family a lot closer and allows them to see how much they are all loved by one another. Her parents admit that “not all of [their] days are good,” and that they “...will never be able to forget Brooke has this disorder.” Their focus remains on the positive things, and they remind other parents dealing with similar diagnoses that “...it is okay to have an off day; it is okay to feel sad, just as long as it isn’t all the time!”

Anthony's Story

Images Captured by Gabi Moller photography

There is only positive energy allowed in Tiny Light Anthony’s life. His family has even adopted an uplifting motto - “good times are coming one day at a time”. 


After a normal pregnancy and delivery, at just 3 days old, Anthony had a 7 minute long seizure. His parents were devastated to find out their first child had suffered a stroke in utero. Even now, doctors still aren’t sure of a diagnosis or what the long-term future holds. 


Anthony has developmental delays affecting several parts of his body. He has a form of Cerebral Palsy, which means he can’t walk, sit or crawl without support. He needs to be tube fed through his stomach. His vision is impaired and he is non-verbal. Anthony is on a cocktail of medication to control epileptic seizures. 


Through it all, this lovable 5-year old can’t get enough hugs and kisses. He makes friends everywhere he goes. He has taught his family so much about compassion and unconditional love. “My little man NEVER gives up on life…so how dare I give up on him?” 


His parents are committed to giving their beautiful boy the best life possible. The family home has been remodeled to make it wheelchair friendly, including an elevator at the side of the house. “Anthony is here for a reason. We might not know why this tragedy happened or why he is here, but his story is not finished yet and is still continuing.”



Story By Elaine Yong