Adventures with Allen

*Disclaimer: The name has been change by request of the person discussed below for confidentiality.

Allen is a 16-year-old boy with Prader-Willi Syndrome that I "babysit" during the week; This is not a well-known syndrome, and I had no knowledge of it prior to meeting him. Although I do have to protect him and make sure he is safe, my primary job is to be a friend and accompany him with things he enjoys such as: walking, playing iSpy on the computer, going to the mall or his favorite...Petco.

I've taken so much from Allen since I initially started almost two months ago. He's so appreciate of the simple things in life like nature, and it's helped me to realize how ungrateful I've been, being so consumed with thoughts of what I don't have. He's so different from the average teenager, but one thing he has in common with most his age is his unpredictability lol you never know what you're gonna get.

 Most days he's a fun-loving kid that enjoys the company of myself or one of his parents; but like any teenager, he sometimes likes to rebel and have fits when things don't go his way. One thing I can say that I admire the most about him is his tenacity; he is always right even if he's wrong, and it's essentially Allen's world, so you'd better act accordingly lol.

I invite you all to embrace a new weekly segment to my blog. My hope is to share the experiences I have with him and others and maybe you can take something positive and noteworthy from someone else's story. Everyone has a story and one instance can change your life forever.