eddie isaacs, dad
by kelli fowler

Eddie Isaacs awakens each morning to face another day of seemingly endless challenges—and blessings: his children.

Eddie’s oldest boy Junior (almost 15) is autistic, and his youngest boy Steven (7) suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle-bone disease. This tiny little boy is so very fragile he must use a wheelchair because his bones cannot support his weight, tiny though he is. The metal rods supporting his thigh and calf bones must be replaced every year to allow Steven to grow. Eddie believes the worst part for Steven is being restricted from play.

Chris, 13, and Lizzie, 9, are normal, healthy kids: their challenge is understanding that their dad is stretched to the limit with their brothers’ care.

If Eddie is asked about what his biggest challenge is, he will not mention money, his children, or his stressful life. He will say the hardest part is his lack of sleep. Eddie gets by on four or five hours of sleep a night. He is up late caring for Junior who has trouble sleeping; Junior is sometimes awake for two or three days straight. Being autistic, he has a difficult time communicating his needs, and he becomes overwhelmingly frustrated. He will reach a breaking point and he begins to hit himself. If Eddie can’t calm him, he places a helmet on Junior’s head to keep him from injuring himself. Eddie has replaced all of the windows in his home with safety glass because Junior has become agitated and put his head through the glass. Unfortunately, Junior has moved on to the walls. Doctors told Eddie that his first-born son would never have the ability to speak. The few words Junior does speak are a miracle to Eddie.

All four of the children who live with Eddie are in school. (Katie, his oldest, has dropped out of school.) Their mother contributes in no way to the education, food, clothing, or medical bills of her children. Eddie gets some governmental support for Junior and Steven because of their disabilities. The only other aid they receive is food stamps. The nine-tenths of an acre that Eddie owns was inherited from his mother, and prohibits him from any further assistance.

Eddie is a resourceful person. He and the children live in a single-wide mobile home that he has expanded using whatever materials available. Their home is the proverbial ‘work in progress’ but he has done his best to make a comfortable home.
Eddie loves his children unconditionally, as any good parent does. His patience, love, and dedication are unrestricted, unreserved, and absolute. He cannot imagine a life without his children, and is willing to endure his struggles to have them by his side. Eddie faces each day and each challenge the only way he can, one at a time. He is an inspiration in a society of responsibility ditching, displacing blame, and deadbeat dads. He’s an inspiration to those of us who only think we have it hard.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Steven and Catherine Reese are the cofounders of Shelter Rock, a local nonprofit, inter-denominational ministry in Boone, NC. The organization distributes basic necessities such as food, clothing, and medical supplies to people living in poverty in the Western North Carolina mountains. Periodically, with the assistance of churches and volunteers, Shelter Rock brings tractor-trailers of clothing and tons of food to mountain towns in North Carolina. Mission teams from various denominations come from around the country to serve with their field teams; everyone who works with Shelter Rock is a volunteer. Donations from corporations as well as individuals have made it possible to bring relief to over 10,000 people of the Appalachian Mountains in the two years since Shelter Rock was founded.

The Reeses and Shelter Rock have been a tremendous help to the Isaacs family and to so many families who face hardship. Catherine Reese shares her feelings for Eddie, “He has profound dedication, humility, integrity, and perseverance. Eddie is a prince and a hero. He’s a great example for all parents.”

Anyone wishing to contribute to this worthy cause may direct their donations to the address below.

Shelter Rock WNCW
P.O. Box 1158
Boone, NC 28607
828-963-4135

Kelli Fowler currently resides in Asheville, NC. She is finishing her senior year and working towards a degree Mass Communications at UNC-Asheville. Kelli has previously been published in Charlotte Place magazine. She aspires to be a full time writer upon her graduation.
[kelfowler@hotmail.com]