Ricky's Scrabble Journey to India!

Having 3 sons diagnosed with autism - we've always tried to follow our kids' strengths and stay positive. Unfortunately, though, some kids have been teasing Ricky about playing Scrabble. It's become a sensitive topic - but he continues to play and loves his word sport as much as ever.

Here's a link to a story written in May: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PHJ7NN3Bk49Crr4H9

Ricky, 12, really wants to compete in the Asia Cup Youth Scrabble Championships in November - similar to his trip to Malaysia in 2019. In May, Ricky (and his partner, Nathan) finished in 5th place out of 23 teams at the 2022 North American School SCRABBLE Championship in Washington, D.C. One of their winning games was live-streamed. I tried to record it: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1fUYsnaJepk2vtd46 and https://photos.app.goo.gl/rts3fVxDTDG9TiRK7

At this point, Ricky is the only kid from the United States who may be attending in person.

Getting to travel and see new places is something Ricky lives for. When he was a preschooler, he would draw detailed maps of all the continents. At 7, he noticed Malta was missing from a book on how to draw all of the European countries. Nothing gets past Ricky!

He's also known for being a swift Scrabble player. He's sincere and honest, too. Ricky doesn't get to play with many people his age since Scrabble isn't as popular among kids in Texas as it is in the northeast and other places worldwide. Being around others like him who love words makes him feel right at home.

If you are so inclined to donate, we'd genuinely appreciate it. And if you have any leads on possible sponsorship opportunities, kindly let us know. Every little bit helps.

We have four kids and from the beginning with all three boys being diagnosed at a young age with autism, it's been financially challenging to say the least... Our oldest two sons are in college now, though, and we couldn't be more proud. They are a great example for Ricky and others in our community that having an autism diagnosis doesn't have to define you. They've found success and happiness doing what they love. Also, our youngest child looks up to all 3 of her big brothers and admires them for who they are. It's kind of neat that Ricky found Scrabble and it's "his" thing - even though he does similar things aside from it like his siblings (they all take piano lessons).

Thank you for taking the time to read this far and for any donation or advice.

With much gratitude,

Erin (AKA Tony, Frankie, Ricky & Evie's Mom)