The Fall Workshop | 2011 | Liverpool, NY

Special needs children are mother's dream

by Alyssa Greenberg

At 16 years old, Renee Curkendall told her mother she wanted to have six children with special needs someday. When she met her husband, Peter, she warned him not to ask her out unless he was up for the challenge of her long-held dream. Now in her mid-forties, Renee and her husband have six children between the ages of 5 and 21. Four of the six are adopted, and five have significant physical and development impairments. Annette, 21, is HIV positive, has cerebral palsy and developmental delays. Their biological son Joshua, 16, has epilepsy, is a brain tumor survivor, hearing-impaired and has developmental delays. Trayvon, 12, is on the waiting list for a heart transplant. Marriela, 9, weighed less than 2 pounds when she was born prematurely at 26 weeks, has severe anxiety and bipolar disorder. Cody, their 6-year-old biological child, has no disabilities. Sergio, 5, has intestinal failure, vision impairment and severe developmental defects.