Growing up as a kid with NF, I’m sure my parents had this nagging question inside their heads at one time or another: “Will he grow up to be normal?”

I’m guessing that the  “growing up to be normal” question isn’t really exclusive to parents whose kids have NF, other disabilities or  special needs. It’s a question that all parents deal with but the question comes with a bigger question mark for parents of NF children because NF itself is sort of a question mark in the sense that the parents will never know when, how and to what extent NF will manifest itself.

My parents never gave a hint that they were worried about such things when I was growing up. It is only recently — about 30 years later — that they are sharing with me about their apprehensions at the time.  They really felt quite helpless during those times when there was little information about NF. When there’s lack of information, there’s got to be uncertainty.

The thing about uncertainty though, is there’s always hope. Uncertainty never meant “something bad” for my parents. It was always, “something good”. Throughout my formative years — preschool, grade school, high school, and college — Dad and Mama supported me in everything that I did and experienced.

They kept saying that it shouldn’t hinder me from doing anything and that even if NF will be a part of me, it did not define who I was and who I will be. They said that I may be different from the other kids but being different also means that I am unique. I was taught not to dwell on my having NF. I was taught not to blame anyone — including God — for my having it; that God allowed me to have NF because He knows that I’ll be able to handle it and maybe even become an inspiration to others.

Because of the support they gave, the future had always been bright for me. It was a bright future then and it is even a brighter future now.