The following is a story about the strength of Brandon from Pennsylvania, USA in his mother’s words: 

Brandon is our 17-year-old WSS Warrior and is the true definition of “Rare is STRONG.”  

We received Brandon’s WSS diagnosis in 2017, so a little later than most [as a teenager].  Brandon has struggled since the moment of his birth, but we never had a reason as to why he was struggling so much; no diagnosis, no answers, and what felt like living in a world where we were so isolated for so many years.  The best we could do was treat the issues at hand and hope someday we would find out why things were the way they were.  

The diagnosis did not change who Brandon was before we got our test results, but it gave us a starting point to start looking for answers, specialists, and more importantly a community that understood what we were going through!!!!  

Brandon has had a very tough 17 years and an extremely extensive history….ranging from complex medical issues, to Autism, to Learning Disabilities and so many things in between.  Our journey has not been easy, but it has given us each strength we never knew we had.  He teaches us every day that no matter what you NEVER GIVE UP and blows us away with his strength, bravery, and perseverance through some incredibly difficult things that no child should every have to go through.  

In our eyes is the true definition of “Rare Is STRONG.”

by Heather Conaway