Isaac finally went home from the hospital where he was cared for by his mother and grandmother. He didn’t seem to grow very much and still had a hard time feeding. His mother and grandmother gave him round the clock care and continued to try and get him to grow. His mother attended “meetings” 3 times a day, and she took little Isaac with her. He was passed around the room from person to person. He was held and cuddled all the time.

At the age of 1 year, his mother thought he could have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She took him to a doctor that was reluctant to give her that diagnosis, but eventually did.

As time went on, Isaac’s mother and grandmother noticed that he was severely cross-eyed, had a small head circumference, was delayed in doing infant movements and talking. Isaac had corrective eye surgery but that left him with nerve damage in the eyes. It was also noted that Isaac was born with a heart problem. They called it VSD. He had to take very strong medication for his heart and was monitored regularly.

As the years went on, the delays became more noticeable and the heart did not improve. In 1994, Isaac had open-heart surgery. The doctors said that they fixed the VSD but that the aorta valve in the heart would still leak. It was just too dangerous to fix both problems at the same time.

Isaac’s mom and grandma found out about a doctor in Washington State that was a specialist in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and called for an appointment. He would have to be put on a waiting list. In 1996, the doctors called for the appointment. It took every penny that his mother and grandmother could scrape up to get him to Washington. He was finally given his official diagnosis of Atypical Fetal Alcohol Syndrome from Dr. Sterling Clarren.

The doctors told his mother and grandma that drinking during the pregnancy caused all of Isaac’s problems. He now had a long list of secondary problems, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, that came with the diagnosis of Atypical FAS. The three left Washington relieved that they knew what the problems were, but also knew that the path ahead would only get rougher.

You may ask how it is that I know all of this about Isaac and his mom and grandma. Well, it’s like this. I am Isaac’s biological mother and when I was pregnant with Isaac. I drank a quart of whiskey a day. You see, I am an alcoholic/addict that has recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.

Today, it is still Isaac, grandma and myself. We are a family. Grandma works part time at a school for severely disabled children, and I went on to start my own business. Isaac is in special education. He will be 10 years old in January 2000, and has the mentality of a 5-year-old.

All of what I have told you in this story is completely preventable. ABSTINENCE!