Raising Raymie

At age 18, when a woman marries the man that she has dreamed about all her life, the world is rosy – love, marriage, fun times, baby on the way!  Little did she know that within 10 months of marriage her world would totally change from the protected daughter of older parents into a new parent herself – of a child with very challenging disabilities.  At the time Raymond Edward Cole, Jr. (“Raymie”) was born, he was one of only six known cases in the world with his genetic issues.  He never learned to run, never learned to talk – but that didn’t stop our plucky little guy from being determined to master his corner of the world.  This is a collection of stories about Raymie’s life that tells of his zest for living, his relationship with the world, and the joy he found in just about everything.  Raymie’s first passion was people.  No matter how the rest of the world perceived their faults, there was something for him to love about all of them, and Raymie was a master at finding it. He knew no barriers when it came to reaching out to make new friends and connections.  He left all of us better people for having shared this adventure with him and, along the way, taught us to appreciate the world we’ve been given. Come meet our Raymie and our family.  The journey was real, and his gift continues.