Fighting for the
Boys Parents of medically fragile children are 24/7 caregivers and advocates, waging everyday battles to give their kids the best life possible.
ick Schilling is medical mystery wrapped in a perpetual roguish grin. The 25-year-old’s diagnoses include autism, epilepsy and intellectual disability, but his body has also been gradually deteriorating for the past eight years, and genetic testing has yet to reveal why. He has feeding and digestive problems, muscle weakness and arthritis in both hips. When he walks, it’s only around the house, RIGHT // Ethan Schilling aided by orthotics and toting an IV pole. Nick doesn’t need words to talks with the help of an iPad. He loves storms, share his affection for his Christmas and Taylor Swift. older brother, Nick. He is not a morning person. He is a flirt. “You’re a hot mess—thank God you’re happy about everything,” Josh Schilling, Nick’s dad, says to him at a doctor’s appointment. Later, Josh tells the doctor, “We didn’t expect him to live this long.”
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november 2020 / dfwchild.com
NICK AND ETHAN: JOSH SCHILLING
WORDS CARRIE STEINGRUBER
