Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008

INSPIRATIONS Life full of happiness my Liss starts out each day with a simple goal: To make the people around her—especially the kids with special needs—smile. “But I think they make me smile more,” she admits. That’s espeGoals: “I like to make cially obvious people happy every day. My as she glides big wish is to get married into the Lily and have a family, but I’m Garden Child OK if that doesn’t happen Development because I’ll be one heck of a Center Infant great aunt.” Room at Advice to parents: “It’s Easter Seals a long road and it’s difficult DuPage and having a child with special the Fox Valley needs. … Treat them as Region, where normal as possible.” she cuddled More about Amy: Visit and fed her her tribute page at www. first baby— easterseals.com/goto/ a memory amyliss. She lives with her captured and parents and younger sister, hung in her Lindsay, 20. work area near her Cubs paraphernalia and Employee of the Month award. Like the babies with special needs in the infant room, Amy, who has cerebral palsy and is a spastic quadriplegic, considers Easter Seals a second home. Amy and her twin sister, Kelly, weren’t expected to live when their mom went into labor 10 days after learning she was having twins. At three months early, Amy jokes she was the older twin by 30 seconds while Kelly was the bigger one to Amy’s 1 pound, 14 ounce, 12-inch body. Her parents, Tom and Kathy Liss of Downers Grove, started her in therapy at Easter Seals at 5 months old. Of her long-time therapists, Diane Ryan and Kathe Monley, she says, “They are my humor and my motivator. They really are my extended family.” Though she needs help with everything she does, Amy, 25, says she’s never felt sorry for herself about the life she’s been handed. A THOUGHTS Frank Pinc/Chicago Parent Amy Liss and Charlie, a child in the Lily Garden Infant Room. “I always try and stay extremely positive. A smile on my face. I would say I wouldn’t have it any other way because I wouldn’t have some of the great opportunities I have,” she says. Those opportunities include spending time with kids. Eight years ago, Amy started volunteering at Easter Seals one day a week, encouraging kids in therapy, running errands “and keeping people laughing. I think I’m pretty good at that.” That volunteer job has turned into a job as a development assistant that has Amy spending time in the communities talking about special needs, giving tours of the Villa Park center and supporting kids in therapy. Every Friday during the school year, she also volunteers at her former elementary school, helping kids with spelling and reading and teaching them she’s no different than everyone else. “I just like giving back to people and places that have done so much for me,” Amy says. “I like educating people about disabilities. I love being around people.” Tamara L. O’Shaughnessy 68 | Specıal Parent 2008 CHICAGO | ChicagoParent.com http://www.easterseals.com/goto/amyliss http://www.easterseals.com/goto/amyliss http://www.easterseals.com/goto/amyliss http://ChicagoParent.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008

Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008 Contents In Our Shoes Of Mothers and Mission Control A Love Story Keeping the Whole Family Well What Do I Do? Resources God's Special Child Our Kids Inspirations

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