Students with special needs siblings do not just consider them special because of their disabilities. To their siblings and their families, these special needs individuals are considered special due to how they have impacted and improved the siblings’ and families’ lives.

Ali and Dylan Thompson

Ali Thompson, senior, describes her brother Dylan as sociable, inspiring, and extraordinary. Dylan, who is 18, is a triplet with Ali and their brother Matt, but was the only one born with Down syndrome, a condition where 47 chromosomes are present instead of 46. Even though Dylan is considered to be special needs, he is special to Thompson and her family for many more reasons besides having Down syndrome.

“He has taught me so many things about how to treat people and [how] being patient goes a long way,” Thompson said. “The most amazing thing about him is that he doesn’t understand things like having goals, so he has no expectations that he could be doing [something] else [that] would make him happier. Every little thing he accomplishes is a huge deal to him, and he is always happy and excited to be doing whatever he is doing.”

Dylan enjoys going out for ice cream with his sister, riding his bike to the local park, and playing sports, including his favorite, gymnastics. Thompson says he also has the normal responsibilities she and her other siblings have, such as household chores.

“A lot of people think because he doesn’t understand a lot of things that they have to treat him like a baby, but he does have thoughts and feelings just like any other person. He should be treated as the smart, independent little man that he is,” Thompson said. “I love that every single person that has ever met him has nothing but positive, lovely things to say about him, and the way he has impacted their life.”

Thompson says it is hard to deal with people who are ignorant of her brother’s disability and other’s disabilities, but she hopes one day that people will understand how big of a blessing it is to have someone with special needs in your life.

“My mom always says that [Dylan] is a gift from God, and I think it’s a hundred percent true. He deserves every bit of kindness, friendship, and love that he shows to other people,” Thompson said. “Don’t ever be afraid to stand up for someone who is different.”

Mikey and Ashley Renz

“One of my favorite memories [of my sister] is the day I saw her after her open heart surgery. She had a bright red light taped to her finger and just kept saying, ‘ET phone home,’ and lifting it up into the air,”  Mikey Renz, junior, said of his sister’s surgery to fix one of her heart valves that was not growing at the same rate as the rest of her body.

Ashley Renz, age 20, was diagnosed with Williams’s syndrome at the age of three. Williams’ syndrome is a genetic condition characterized by medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities.  But having this condition does not stop Ashley from laughing and brightening the days of everyone around her, Renz says.

“One way [Ashley has] impacted me is to always be happy because she’s one of the most joyful people on this planet and has been through so much in her life,” Renz said. “[I love] the fact that she can always make me smile, no matter how mad or sad I get. She will always find a way to cheer you up.”

According to Renz, Ashley “always finds a way to make [any] thing interesting.”

Despite all the fun times they have together, Renz admits to there being hard days, especially when she gets frustrated. When it comes to handling bad days and good days, Renz says his family treats her as if she does not have any disabilities at all. Overall, Renz says his sister is happy, which is one of the things he loves most about her.

“I’ve grown to really love her a lot and look past all the things that make it hard,” Renz said.

Ashley has been part of Lake Zurich’s Special Needs Athletic Program (SNAP) for ten years. Renz finds programs like these to be beneficial for people to become more understanding of kids with special needs and to be less judgmental.

“Programs like SNAP are a perfect way for kids to find out how amazing a lot of these kids are, and how much better they can actually make your life,” Renz said. “Try to reach out to kids with disabilities and have connections with them and realize how amazing they really are.”

Maggie and Kyle Tuckey

“With [my brother], you couldn’t tell he is someone with special needs,” Maggie Tuckey, junior, said.

Kyle Tuckey, 19, was diagnosed at age two with a condition known as epilepsy, a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. Kyle has terrible seizures, which impaired his brain function, causing him to be considered special needs. Even though he suffers from constant seizures, Tuckey says that does not slow him down.

“Kyle is very loud and opinionated. He plays almost every single instrument. He plays the piano, full size drum set, guitar, and xylophone. He’s always playing,” Tuckey said. “And then whenever anyone tells him to be quiet he doesn’t listen.”

Tuckey also loves how outgoing Kyle is and says people are always coming up to her saying, “you must be Kyle’s younger sister.”

Kyle has been part of SNAP since elementary school and now is part of the transition program at the high school, offered to kids with special needs until the age of 21, teaching them basic life skills such as taking the bus, visiting job sites, and making food for themselves.

“[My brother] thinks he should be able to do everything everyone else can, but he can’t. He can’t get his drivers license, and he can’t go to college, so that is really hard for him to accept,” Tuckey said. “[Our parents] treat him the same way as the rest of us, even though [Kyle] knows he’s different.”

Even though Kyle cannot do certain things, there are everyday things he can do. For instance, he has a job at Target and “he absolutely loves it,” Tuckey said. Tuckey believes people have the misconception that people who have special needs are immobile but actually, they simply do not know how truly amazing they are.

“Kyle adds such a dynamic to our lives. I would say this is an experience that has made me the person I am today,” Tuckey said. “People should do things like SNAP to experience what it’s like to have this different dynamic in their life.”