When she started attending her son Joey was 19 and had been diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome when he was young boy. Fragile X is a genetic condition that causes a range of developmental problems including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. As such, Joey had a hard time growing up. He attended school over the hill and did not have many friends in Half Moon Bay. He didn’t get invited to childhood birthday parties, didn’t have a high school graduation, or attend prom. Those times were hard for Pam to watch. Things are better now with the Lord’s help. Joey, now forty-two, serves at Mariners making coffee and greeting attendees.
Pam remembers being grateful that the Lord was in her life at the time Joey was diagnosed. The Lord was central in her life and faith helped her through that difficult time and through the hard times watching Joey grow up so isolated from normal childhood activities. Pam likes to say that while Joey is developmentally disabled, he is not spiritually disabled and that is a great source of comfort to her.
Joey works at Cameron’s during the day and spends his time when home listening to and singing hymns and watching Christian network television. However, he has a very active social life. Joey tends the chickens and garden at the Big Wave Project, plays basketball on his Special Olympics team, attends LifeGroup, exercises with the Boys and Girls Club, and sings with the Seton Coastside Ministry. Joey has also found friends, many of them from his Mariners family and through his faith in God.
Pam wonders how people face hardships and challenges without the Lord in their lives? Her grandson also has Fragile X Syndrome and is a happy cheerful guy just like his Uncle Joey. The two are very close and support one another. Pam and Joey do devotions and prayers every night together and Pam is comforted knowing Joey is at peace, happy and content and expressing his relationship with God through his actions.
She worries a little bit about what will happen as she gets older, but knows that her daughter will help out with Joey and he will always have the loving embrace of his Mariners family and friends to care for him.
By Laura McHugh, Volunteer Storyteller
