How this mom finds strength
While Ms. Nunez doesn’t go to a support group or speak with a mental health professional about all that she’s juggling, she says she draws strength from Lloyd himself.
“I’m very private, and I come from a culture where you don’t want people feeling sorry for you,” she says. “But I want to give Lloyd everything – he goes to school, we go to church, he had a quinceañera when he was 15, we’ve been to Disney, and we’ve both gotten on a roller coaster. I haven’t limited his life.”
She also draws comfort from her daughters.
“Everyone calls him ‘Baby Lloyd,’” she says. “My girls come right home from school, wash their hands, and throw themselves on his bed and watch TV with him. They also worry about him a lot. When he goes to the hospital, they suffer more than I do.”
In the end, Ms. Nunez hopes her story inspires others to think beyond a prognosis.
“Don’t lose hope,” she says. “I want people to feel hopeful when they read about Lloyd. He’s going to be 20 years old, and no one ever believed he would be here today ... I feel blessed.”
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.