Jennifer Andrick

NO. 393 | AUGUST 2016
THE MAGAZINE OF GOOD LIVING
IN AND AROUND PLANO
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PRESBY PLANO AT 25
SUPERMOM
Four Plano athletes share
a quest for Olympic gold
EXCLUSIVE:
THE LATEST ON
PLANO’S LEGACY HALL

PROFILE ||
The hero next door
BY MELINDA HAGGERTY | PHOTOS BY KEVIN BARTRAM
Jennifer Andrick, far right, with her husband Tom Andrick and her children Jessica Walker, Trevor Andrick and Allie Andrick.
AUGUST 2016 | planoprofi le.com 57

THERE’S NO EVIDENCE
OF A CAPE, GOLDEN
LARIAT OR A SPANDEX
OUTFIT. We’re sitting
in the cozy, sunwashed
living room
of her Plano home
and absolutely everything appears as
one would expect. But I’m suspicious
because she’s wearing glasses. Don’t all
superheroes hide behind the frames of
their glasses? Clark Kent is Superman.
Diana Prince is Wonder Woman.
Jennifer Wright Andrick...who is she?
Calling Plano home since early childhood,
Jennifer is a devoted wife and the
mother of three children: Jessica (25),
Trevor (16) and Allie (13). This is the
Jennifer people see at first glance.
She works full-time. She’s a mom
of three, including one teenager with
alopecia universalis and ADHD, and
another with Down syndrome. Jennifer
Wright Andrick inspires the supermom
in all of us.
No hair means never washing it
again
As we chat and giggle about life, children
and our guys, I see the shadow of someone
creeping through the room across from us.
They’re stealthy…until we hear the distinctive
crinkle of plastic wrap. Jennifer rolls
her eyes in exasperation, “Oh, that’s Trevor
sneaking a snack in the kitchen!” I get a brief
glimpse of the teenager as he sticks his head
into the living room for a moment, grinning
ear-to-ear with a bag of munchies clutched
in his hand.
Trevor started losing his hair in second grade. It began with little patches here and there,
then within 18 months, he lost all his hair. No eyebrows, no eyelashes, no hair anywhere.
Trevor was diagnosed with alopecia universalis, a condition manifesting as complete loss
of all hair. When he was in elementary school he did fine; it was Jennifer who cried and
found the sudden change in her son’s appearance difficult to handle. But
Trevor’s attitude helped her, “At first, he was excited about not having
hair because he hated washing it! He found a bright side in it.”
Everything changed in middle school. With a combination of
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and intense social
anxiety due to his baldness, Trevor struggled emotionally, socially and
academically. “I saw my son withdrawing. I would take him to school
where he’d immediately pull his hoodie low, then walk in alone with his
head down. I could see his pain and I couldn’t keep doing it.” Jennifer’s
voice trembles. “My son not only felt different, but he felt very isolated.
I pulled Trevor out of school in seventh grade.”
The hurt she felt for Trevor triggered a tough decision: she would
home-school him. “I work full time, but I’m lucky my job offers the flexibility
of working in the office and telecommuting.” This is crucial as she
juggles teaching her son and work responsibilities. “My kitchen is my
classroom. I’m able to sit at one end of the table and work, while Trevor
sits at the other end doing what he needs to do.”
Trevor takes co-op classes at The Home Educator’s Outsourcing
Solution (THEO). “They’ve got certified teachers and it’s a Christian
environment. He gets instruction for math, science and writing, then we come home and
do the work. I spend a lot of time reinstructing him, especially in algebra. It’s the bane of
my existence…I’m not even kidding!”
Jennifer believes their home-schooling experience is a journey. “It’s not easy. There are
many days I say I hate every minute of it. But when we talk about going back to public
school, he doesn’t want to do it.” Trevor is making friends at THEO and seems to be getting
better in social situations. She knows they made the right decision for their son. She
chuckles, “He’s 16 and at this point, I’m just glad he doesn’t have any interest in driving!”
Trevor
58 planoprofi le.com | ISSUE NO. 393

Allie
#alliestrikesagain
I hear the distinctive squeak of brakes followed by a puff
of air and the low rumble of a diesel engine. A quick
glance out the window confirms a school bus pulling
away. Suddenly, the front door is flung open and the house
immediately fills with the presence of Allie. She’s all smiles
and backpack.
When 16 weeks pregnant, Jennifer was considered to
be of “advanced maternal age” and she underwent an
amniocentesis and a Level II sonogram. Her husband Tom
Andrick was supportive of the tests. “He said, ‘forewarned
is forearmed.’” Jennifer laughs, “That’s easy to say when
you’re not the one with a six-inch needle in your belly!”
“I watched the sonogram over and over again once
we got home from the procedure. I knew. I knew something
was different about it.” Later the doctor called with
the news: Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). She remembers
standing in the hall with the phone and not knowing how
to react. Her mind flooding with thoughts. “It was almost
like a death. This is not what I wanted. What are we in for?
How are we going to do this?” Then, the doctor explained
the timeline. “We had two weeks to decide if we wanted to
terminate the pregnancy.” The room is deafeningly quiet as
Jennifer remembers every detail, she shakes her head and
looks to the floor, “No pressure.”
The following week was very emotional. “I couldn’t
believe I was thinking about terminating a pregnancy. I knew I couldn’t. I loved this
baby.” Jennifer was deeply depressed and wouldn’t leave the house. A pastor from their
church came and prayed with them. Finally, she realized, “I have a decision to make.
Am I going to mourn the baby I thought we were having or am I going to celebrate the
baby God is giving us?” Once decided, Jennifer’s pregnancy became everything one
should be—a joyous occasion. “I started thinking about baby clothes because we knew
we were having a girl. And, I started reading. If I was going to do this, then I was going
to do it 100 percent. I was going to know everything there was to know about Down
syndrome.”
In addition to developmental issues and characteristic facial features, there are many
physical problems associated with Down syndrome. Allie’s ongoing healthcare is critically
important. “She has been expensive: orthotics to walk; occupational therapy;
speech therapy; ear infections, perforated eardrums and hearing aids; Hashimoto’s disease;
orthodontics; and, vision. When Allie needed glasses, we went through 12 pairs
in the first year. I’d put them on her, then she’d take them off and break them in half.”
Inspired by a few of Allie’s antics around the house, Jennifer created a hashtag several
years ago: #alliestrikesagain. “I’ve never let Allie go more than five minutes unattended
because she finds creative ways to entertain herself. One day, I walked into the kitchen
to find every fast food toy we owned set up on the floor…Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
facing off with the Power Rangers. It was a war!” She chuckles, “Anytime you find
something where it normally shouldn’t be, then you know ‘Allie Strikes Again’! It’s like
April Fool’s Day every day around here.”
Allie approaches life with irrepressible spirit. She competes regionally on a special-needs
cheer team. She has her black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She played drums in
sixth-grade band. “I’m lucky Allie is in the Plano Independent School District. She gets
special education services and the accommodations she needs.”
Taking steps as activists, Jennifer’s family organized a team called Allie’s Shining Stars
to participate in the annual Buddy Walk, which benefits the Down Syndrome Guild of
Dallas. Allie’s photo was selected by the National Down Syndrome Society for a video
featured on the big screen in Times Square kicking off the 2015 NYC Buddy Walk.
AUGUST 2016 | planoprofi le.com 59

Jessica
Gentle Jessica
Jennifer’s oldest child is graceful
and quiet. She walks softly
into the room, quickly settling in
next to her mother on the sofa.
Her calm demeanor is supportive
and the pride she feels for her
family is unmistakable. Jessica
works as a full-time nanny, lives
at home and recently embraced
a new adventure—being a single
mother. “We make plans for
our life, then God laughs and
changes everything,” Jennifer
grins. “Jessica seriously considered
adoption, but ultimately
decided to keep her baby. I’m
so proud of her…and honestly,
I love being a Nonni.”
Jennifer realizes she has learned
something from each of her children.
“From Jessica, compassion.
She has a good heart and always
wants to help others. From Trevor, optimism. He takes things day by day and
doesn’t worry about anything. From Allie, tenacity. She tackles everything with
the idea she’s going to be able to do it. She doesn’t know she has limitations.”
Asked to
describe
herself,
each word
evokes a
different tone, emotion
and facial expression.
“I’m a wife, mother,
grandmother, daughter,
accountant, teacher,
activist, advocate, mentor,
friend and a gardener
… still working on
the gardening part.”
Saying our goodbyes,
we share a quick hug
and for a split second
my bracelet catches on
something. I don’t actually
see it, but I’m fairly
certain I know…it’s her
cape.
I’m definitely no Lois
Lane, but I think I just
sat down with Super
Woman.
Jennifer & Tom
60 planoprofi le.com | ISSUE NO. 393