Porter is a man on a mission
By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Joey Porter knew something was different about little Jasmine, the second of his four children. She struggled to communicate, to do the normal things most children do.
"I wanted to know why," Porter said.
Soon after, the doctors broke the news to Joey and wife Christy: Four-year-old Jasmine had autism, a neurological and developmental disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 250 children.
Like most parents of a special-needs child, the Porters were staggered by the news. They also knew life would take on a different meaning from there forward, that much of their energy would be dedicated to helping their daughter -- and, perhaps, many others who were dealing with this disorder.
In the two years since the diagnosis, Porter has used his celebrity as a star linebacker with the Steelers to raise awareness and to raise research funds for autism, the third most common childhood disorder after juvenile diabetes and cancer.
He teamed up last December with All the Way Down Authentic Apparel and Custom Printed Graphics Inc. to create a series of five different T-shirts honoring the Steelers Defense -- "Big Nasty D" -- and special teams, with a portion going toward autism research at Children's Hospital.
It's a start, but Porter wants to do more. He won't be part of a major fund-raising campaign for autism Saturday at Heinz Field -- Walk Far for NAAR -- but it is something he plans to get involved with next year.
He is a man on a mission.
"I have a football camp and golf tournament with the proceeds going to the Richardson Center (child developmental services) in Bakersfield (Calif.)," Porter said Wednesday, after completing a voluntary coaching session at the Steelers' South Side practice facility. "Eventually, I'd like to have a football camp and a tournament here in Pittsburgh, too. Bakersfield is my home, but Pittsburgh is my second home, and I'd like to raise as much money as I can for this."
Porter recalled the many times when he didn't know what to do for his daughter -- because he didn't know what she was going through. It was difficult for him to see that she wasn't developing like his oldest child, Jayle, and his younger sons, Joey Jr. and Jacob.
It was one of the few moments in his life that Porter, an NFL tough guy, felt helpless.
"I didn't know why it was happening that way," Porter said. "When we found out that she was autistic, it answered a lot of questions. Once we were able to put a finger on it and find out exactly what the problem was, we tried to deal with it. And we deal with it every day. We know she might be different from the other kids, but we all understand now, and we help her as much as we can."
With each day, a parent of an autistic child faces an abundance of challenges. There is the issue of choosing the right drugs, the right therapy, the right schooling. There is the fine line between trying to mainstream the child, but not overwhelming him or her. There is the issue of helping the child interact with other siblings, while keeping the other children out of harm's way.
Christina Venturini, who has a son (Blaise) with autism and will be part of the Walk Far for NAAR effort Saturday morning on the North Shore, gave a glimpse into the mind of a mother raising an autistic child.
"Many times it is heart-breaking," she said. "Some kids (and adults) can hardly speak. These parents long to hear them talk. In my case, Blaise has great difficulty socially. It is tough for me to watch him try to fit in with other kids and not be able to do it. He just doesn't know what to say, or how to act. He is fortunate because he has improved his social skills. When he was little, he was seen as the bad kid. Before he was diagnosed, he was kicked out of two day cares because of his inappropriate behavior."
She continued.
"People don't realize that raising a child with special needs is quite a job," Venturini said. "Parents have to spend time meeting with schools, teachers, therapists, etc. It is also difficult because every health care provider can recommend something to help your child. As a parent, you must decide what therapies are a priority. There has to be some time for your kid to be a kid. At least for me, this leads to some level of guilt because you choose to eliminate some therapies that the experts say will help."
The search for a cure is ongoing, something folks like Porter and Venturini are fighting to uncover. And even though they might not be able to benefit from an eventual elixir, another generation of parents just might.
"It's tough," Porter said. "I don't know if there will be a cure, but it's something you have to deal with and try to help with. I want my daughter to learn, to do things by herself. It will take time, but we'll always be there for her."
By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Joey Porter knew something was different about little Jasmine, the second of his four children. She struggled to communicate, to do the normal things most children do.
"I wanted to know why," Porter said.
Soon after, the doctors broke the news to Joey and wife Christy: Four-year-old Jasmine had autism, a neurological and developmental disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 250 children.
Like most parents of a special-needs child, the Porters were staggered by the news. They also knew life would take on a different meaning from there forward, that much of their energy would be dedicated to helping their daughter -- and, perhaps, many others who were dealing with this disorder.
In the two years since the diagnosis, Porter has used his celebrity as a star linebacker with the Steelers to raise awareness and to raise research funds for autism, the third most common childhood disorder after juvenile diabetes and cancer.
He teamed up last December with All the Way Down Authentic Apparel and Custom Printed Graphics Inc. to create a series of five different T-shirts honoring the Steelers Defense -- "Big Nasty D" -- and special teams, with a portion going toward autism research at Children's Hospital.
It's a start, but Porter wants to do more. He won't be part of a major fund-raising campaign for autism Saturday at Heinz Field -- Walk Far for NAAR -- but it is something he plans to get involved with next year.
He is a man on a mission.
"I have a football camp and golf tournament with the proceeds going to the Richardson Center (child developmental services) in Bakersfield (Calif.)," Porter said Wednesday, after completing a voluntary coaching session at the Steelers' South Side practice facility. "Eventually, I'd like to have a football camp and a tournament here in Pittsburgh, too. Bakersfield is my home, but Pittsburgh is my second home, and I'd like to raise as much money as I can for this."
Porter recalled the many times when he didn't know what to do for his daughter -- because he didn't know what she was going through. It was difficult for him to see that she wasn't developing like his oldest child, Jayle, and his younger sons, Joey Jr. and Jacob.
It was one of the few moments in his life that Porter, an NFL tough guy, felt helpless.
"I didn't know why it was happening that way," Porter said. "When we found out that she was autistic, it answered a lot of questions. Once we were able to put a finger on it and find out exactly what the problem was, we tried to deal with it. And we deal with it every day. We know she might be different from the other kids, but we all understand now, and we help her as much as we can."
With each day, a parent of an autistic child faces an abundance of challenges. There is the issue of choosing the right drugs, the right therapy, the right schooling. There is the fine line between trying to mainstream the child, but not overwhelming him or her. There is the issue of helping the child interact with other siblings, while keeping the other children out of harm's way.
Christina Venturini, who has a son (Blaise) with autism and will be part of the Walk Far for NAAR effort Saturday morning on the North Shore, gave a glimpse into the mind of a mother raising an autistic child.
"Many times it is heart-breaking," she said. "Some kids (and adults) can hardly speak. These parents long to hear them talk. In my case, Blaise has great difficulty socially. It is tough for me to watch him try to fit in with other kids and not be able to do it. He just doesn't know what to say, or how to act. He is fortunate because he has improved his social skills. When he was little, he was seen as the bad kid. Before he was diagnosed, he was kicked out of two day cares because of his inappropriate behavior."
She continued.
"People don't realize that raising a child with special needs is quite a job," Venturini said. "Parents have to spend time meeting with schools, teachers, therapists, etc. It is also difficult because every health care provider can recommend something to help your child. As a parent, you must decide what therapies are a priority. There has to be some time for your kid to be a kid. At least for me, this leads to some level of guilt because you choose to eliminate some therapies that the experts say will help."
The search for a cure is ongoing, something folks like Porter and Venturini are fighting to uncover. And even though they might not be able to benefit from an eventual elixir, another generation of parents just might.
"It's tough," Porter said. "I don't know if there will be a cure, but it's something you have to deal with and try to help with. I want my daughter to learn, to do things by herself. It will take time, but we'll always be there for her."
