Against All Odds, Couple Finds Joy

When you pitch stories like these and the journalist gets it, there's no better feeling. Knew as soon as I spoke with the couple on Monday night, that they would be great!

SUFFERN, N.Y. — He helps her put on her coat, opens the door for her, and cooks their meals almost every night. She does the dishes, makes his favorite cheesecake from scratch, and suffers watching wrestling on television only because he loves it.

Michael and Laurie Zeilberger, both 51, have been married 17 years and recently passed a big milestone in their lives — they paid off the mortgage on their one-bedroom condo. Both have held stable jobs for more than two decades and he has nursed her through poor health.

Such a loving and durable marriage would be an accomplishment for many couples. It’s especially remarkable for the Zeilbergers because both have learning disabilities.

“We want to be married like other people are married for 50, 60 years,” said Laurie. “It may be harder for us but we want to try.”

Autism Strains Yet Strengthens a Marriage

Nancy Clarke and Jay Petrow.

From The New York Times' Booming Blog's Making it Last column, profiling baby boomer couples who have been together for 25 years. This post is by Steven Petrow.

Last summer, Nancy Clarke, 54, and Jay Petrow, 53, celebrated their silver wedding anniversary with family members in the backyard of their Westport, Conn., home. As Jay's brother, I was best man at their 1987 wedding at our parents’ house in Southampton, L.I., and since then have watched as he and Nancy have taken on an extraordinary challenge — raising an autistic and seriously disabled son, William, who is now 19.

For two decades Jay worked “10 to 10” as a magazine art director, and then five years ago decided to make a new beginning, starting a landscape design company. Nancy, a Princeton graduate and former Wall Street trader, became a stay-at-home mom after William’s birth. They also have a daughter, Anna, who’s 15. Following is a condensed and edited version of our conversation about their marriage.

Married to a Cause

MEAD, Colo. — Forget 1,200-thread-count linens and fine china.
In lieu of wedding gifts, Darrin Jensen and Michelle Fury are asking for donations to help them meet their fundraising goal for the Courage Classic, a three-day, 157-mile bike tour in July through Summit County to benefit The Children's Hospital in Denver.
"It's very meaningful for the two of us because i'ts a cause we both believe in," said Fury, 40, a Denver resident and yoga therapist at The Children's Hospital.
Fury said her nearly five years at the hospital have shown her the difference a psychotherapeutic approach can have on children.
Her fiance also has a connection to the hospital.
The youngest son from his previous marriage, Andrew, has cerebral palsy.

Divorce and the Child with Special Needs

Came across this on Huffington Post.

Divorce is always difficult for the children, but what happens when the parents about to split have a child with special needs? According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders has grown to 1 in 110 children today, while another CDC study indicates that 1 in 10 children aged 4 - 17 has been diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Combine these sobering statistics with the ever-rising divorce rates and you have a perfect storm of people navigating the very rocky waters of divorce with the added pressure of needing to effectively co-parent a child with special needs long after their marriage is over.

'Monica & David' Explores Marriage with Down Syndrome

When Monica and David Martinez got married five years ago, they were not your average bride and groom — both have Down syndrome. Deeply in love and committed to each other, their union nonetheless put the couple among a minority of people with developmental disabilities walking down the aisle.
Filmmaker Alexandra Codina — who is Monica’s cousin — followed the couple through their wedding and first year of marriage. The resulting documentary “Monica & David” captures the couple as they adjust to life together and struggle to define their own independence. Ahead of the premiere of "Monica & David" on HBO Oct. 14, Codina spoke with Disability Scoop.

A Marriage Worth the Wait

Just an outstanding story by The Staten Island Advance. In 1998, we had two individuals -- Marty and Anna -- who both lived at Willowbrook for years. They will celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary in September.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Burt Petrone, 88, and the former Barbara LaRoy, 72, celebrated their 25th anniversary Tuesday. It should have been their 30th anniversary, but it took five years for the state of New York to grant them a marriage license.
This is not your typical love story.
Burt and Barbara, both born with developmental disabilities, were institutionalized as adolescents in the former Willowbrook State School, where they suffered intolerable conditions for a combined total of 43 years.