For the month of July we have chosen a young 4 year old boy from Selden who has compassion and an incredible amount of  love for his older brother who has autism. At a young age Dylan has an abundance of kindness towards others.

We received the nomination for Dylan from his mother, Laura.

“I would like to nominate my son Dylan as a shining star of LI. At only 4 yrs old he is a truly loving, compassionate and understanding person. His older brother has autism and he has learned to become very adaptable, flexible and sometimes take the back seat so his brother can take center stage. Dylan has consistently shown empathy and kindness to classmates and playmates who have disabilities and emotional struggles. Dylan himself struggles with Sensory Processing Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Yet, he consistently goes out of his way to be good to his parents, work hard in school and work extra hard in occupational therapy. Dylan is a happy-go-lucky child who loves life and seeks to make others happy. He is one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met.”

His older brother has autism and he has learned to become very adaptable, flexible and sometimes take the back seat so his brother can take center stage.

Laura’s letter made us think about the forgotten child to a sibling who has special needs. When we have spoken to some parents who have a child with special needs and siblings who do not and they feel a sense of guilt that they are not addressing the needs equally to both children. As a mother of two, I can sympathize with the feeling of trying to give attention to both children equally. As parents we have the responsibility to help teach our children right from wrong and how to treat others. Laura has not forgotten about Dylan but has recognized him for his loving ways and how he cares for his older brother.   I thank her for sharing her story with us.

Momee Friends of Long Island is so proud of Dylan and we would love to hear about any other children who you feel need to be recognized. Please email us your nominations to : momeefriendsli@gmail.com