Almost two decades ago, my cousin gave birth to a bouncy baby boy in my house in Houston Texas. She gave me the honor of naming her son after me and called him Ben-Bryan Jnr (Ben being what she calls me as a short-form of Bernard).
Unfortunately, Ben-Bryan Jnr was born with autism and over the past two decades, I have watched my name-sake struggle with autism. I have watched my cousin struggle with how to cope with and provide for a child who is medically and technologically challenged. She has provided Ben-Bryan Jnr with the most loving environment possible within her home yet, as we discussed Ben-Bryan Jnr a few years ago, her frustration and exasperation was palpable – “what type of life have I given my son?” she asked? “Now that he is a 5ft 10in man without the requisite skillsets to take care of himself or associate with others, what benefits did I get from providing him all the so-called at-home-security, caregivers etc. that I could provide in a home setting? I wish I had the opportunity to expose him to others so he could, at least, have the chance to socialize and hopefully develop skills required to now cope with the outside world.”
That conversation, alongside ongoing conversations with my wife, Joyce, a Masters level Registered Nurse and Certified Case Manager who was/is always highlighting the needs of those she calls “the most beloved, the most needy and the most deserving of care” – basically the elderly, and medically and technologically challenged kids - made me want to do something.
Thankfully, the Texas Legislature passed the PPECC (Prescribed Pediatric Enhanced Care Centers) bill in 2016 and my friends (and partners in McAllen TX, RGV KidzPlace) brought it to our attention; we decided this was exactly what we wanted to do. This is our way of somehow “givin-back” to society whilst applying the core complimentary skills and strengths that we bring to the table; top-notch compassionate nursing practice and leadership skills from Joyce coupled with my real estate expertise, healthcare executive background plus analytical and business skills.
That brought us to BelKidz (Beloved Kids) PPECC. It is a financially worthwhile business venture but more than that, it feeds both our souls; it provides us with something greater – hopefully, through it we “can leave the world a little better than we found it”.
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