The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXXIII

RIELLY SILVA
RYAN KAPLAN, TEACHER
Normandin Middle School, New Bedford, MA
“Please help, I can’t stop.”
Hello, my name is Rielly. I am just a regular kid living my life with a little
something that makes some stuff hard.
When I turned nine, I was getting dressed one day, and I kept putting clothes
on and then taking them off.
It had gone on for a while, even before I was nine.
“I STILL TRY TO BE
HAPPY AND DO WHAT I
AM SUPPOSED TO DO.”
At seven, I was very fidgety and kept touching stuff, but I was able to handle it.
It was scary, but I built up the courage to tell my parents about it.
We all decided to take me to the doctor.
After going to the doctor, I was kind of scared of taking pills my whole life.
We got pills, but it made it worse.
I could not stop. I was sad when it was time to eat and I couldn’t.
I was hungry, but I kept doing things I didn’t want to do.
My parents noticed something was wrong and told my doctor.
The pills did not help. They made the OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
worse.
We went back to the doctor and got new pills. They helped me a lot. I was able
to eat and put on clothes without struggling, and I was so happy, until recently.
A few months ago, when I was twelve, I was walking up the stairs when
I suddenly touched the side of the stairs and kept touching it.
I asked for help, and my dad came and helped me up.
We went to the doctor and got a bigger dosage.
I now take one and a half pills every day, no matter what.
I still try to be happy and do what I am supposed to do.
THE COURAGE OF CHILDREN: BOSTON AND BEYOND
VOLUME XXXIII
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