The IncRETTibles
— Jacqueline Babiarz

Picture day at school always gives me anxiety for my daughter Cammy, 13, who has special needs. Rett syndrome has robbed her of the everyday abilities we take for granted, including walking, talking, using our hands…

While raising my 13-year-old daughter, Cammy, who has special needs, I eventually stopped caring about test scores, regardless of whether they probed educational levels or motor skills. This has helped me to focus on her as a person…

My dad, Joe Corrado, was my real-life Superman when I was young. He was larger than life, the smartest and strongest man I knew. He always shared wrestling stories from his years at Lane Tech College Prep High School…

When my oldest child, Cammy, was born on March 10, 2009, I imagined her at certain ages. I pictured her at 4 riding a two-wheeler for the first time. The 10-year-old version would have a sleepover with her…

In April, we will attend our fifth International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) conference since 2011, when our daughter Cammy was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at 20 months old. We have attended each conference with open hearts and minds.

As a parent, I consider myself well informed about the school system. I was a high school teacher before I had kids, my oldest sister is an early childhood educator, and my middle sister is a school physical therapist.

When my 12-year-old daughter Cammy was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at 20 months old, we were told it’s a rare neurological disorder that primarily affects girls because it’s caused by a gene mutation in the X chromosome. The…

When my daughter Cammy was 5, she participated in a clinical trial at Boston Children’s Hospital that was supported by the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF). We traveled from our home in Illinois to Boston and back multiple times…

Things escalate quickly in our house. What we thought would be another typical day last Friday turned into us calling 911 and admitting our 12-year-old daughter, Cammy, to the hospital. I kept Cammy home from school that day because…

When my daughter Cammy, 12, made it her goal to skate with professional hockey player Duncan Keith, the results exceeded all of our expectations. Cammy’s goal, which I shared on social media, was chosen to be featured…

In preparation for the 2008-2009 hockey season, the Chicago Blackhawks created a marketing campaign called “One Goal.” Players and staff members stated their personal goals for the year to showcase the individuality of each team member. In 2015,…

A couple days after my daughter Cammy turned 3, she went straight from early intervention to school. I had prepared her for the transition, but I was not fully prepared. I told Cammy…