Brooke's Story: Living With Williams Syndrome.

Brooke's Story: Living With Williams Syndrome. (Part Two)

Brooke was born with a little-understood condition known as Williams syndrome. It caused her to have emotional and mental issues, as well as accompanying physical features (small hands and feet, snub nose, very curly hair, small eyes, small stature, etc.). She is prone to temper tantrums and emotional outbursts; one minute, she can be just fine, and the next, she goes off on people by kicking, yelling, and screaming.

It is very frustrating to us because we don't know what will set her off; we just have to try to keep her calm and keep her routine as close to normal as possible. Brookie doesn't handle change very well; when one does introduce new situations to her, they have to do it gradually, or they'll have a real problem on their hands.

We are doing okay, but Brooke's outbursts can make even the simplest family outing a real chore. People tend to stare at her or say unkind remarks to us about her behavior, which, in kind, makes us uncomfortable. We are trying everything possible to help her, but it doesn't always work: Brooke has always been a very strong-willed child.