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FINALLY

By Brett Schaffran

At 34 I spoke my first word. I am a speller, and my name is Brett Schaffran. All my life there was the desire to speak: but my mouth doesn’t listen to my brain. For a long time I believed I might one day be able to, but when I realized that would never happen, I despaired. Almost all of us are seen by the world as incapable. But given the right supports, we are very capable indeed.

My life has changed so much in the past year. Feelings of joy are now the norm for me, rather than the exception. My dream of talking has come true…and I want to finally be heard.

2/17/2025 0 Comments

No Limits

When I found out that Alex was reading Torah, memories of my own bar mitzvah resurfaced. It was over twenty years ago, so at a time when everyone believed that I was cognitively impaired. It was a beautiful, and to me heart-breaking, affair. I am into having a real one, now that I can talk. People need to see me read Hebrew from the Torah. That is a dream of mine that can come true.

Why does it matter, you ask. You had a bar mitzvah, Brett, you are thinking. I did not have a bar mitzvah: the cognitively impaired unreal Brett did. He did not learn to read Hebrew because no one thought him capable. Real Brett can and will learn, and then read Torah like a totally normal Jewish person.

Alex has shown us that things we thought were pipe dreams can actually happen. Maybe this dream isn’t impossible. And that means that maybe other dreams are not impossible. Alex got his high school diploma; he showed us all that that is possible too.

So I’ll start learning Hebrew. And then the sky’s the limit.

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2/3/2025 2 Comments

My Sister

My parents just asked me if I want my sister to come to M2H. It is a dream of mine to have her see me spell. She has only known me as cognitively disabled Brett. Since I have been able to talk, she needs to meet the real me: we are siblings who have never had the opportunity to talk. That’s water under the bridge now but, I want to have a real relationship with her going forward. We always loved each other, but I couldn’t tell her that in the past. So yes, I am excited about her visit to talk to me. Siblings should always make time to talk to each other.