Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8412 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2017 For complete details or to nominate someone for ourVIP or Good Kid Awards, visit goodlifefamilymag.com or emailTricia@goodlifefamilymag.com. When it comes to children with autism, Dallas mom Adrienne Bransky knows firsthand that learning is winning. Her 14-year-old, middle child, Josh is on the spectrum. So, when her oldest son Matthew, now 17, approached her about establishing a Dallas chapter of ACEing Autism, a program that enhances the lives of children and families with autism through tennis, she quickly offered her support. Adrienne was a busy, young mother and wife, holding an upper-level corporate position when she and her medical resident husband Aaron, received Josh’s diagnosis when he was just 14 months old. At the time, knowledge about autism was very limited and some medical professionals gave the Branskys conflicting advice. When the family moved to Dallas, Adrienne decided to leave the corporate world and work for Aaron’s practice, so she could be home with her three children and devote more time to Josh’s care. In addition to the responsibilities of being a mom, she spent time researching and advocating for Josh and met with professionals to ensure that he received the proper therapy to help him communicate and hone his social skills. The Branskys joined autism organizations, such as Autism Speaks, to help raise awareness and to meet other parents who faced the same challenges. “Autism has been a huge part of our family’s lives for a long time,” she notes. “We went through so much for Josh and wanted to give back.” Matthew and their daughter Sarah, following their parents’ example, want to help raise money for autism awareness. When Sarah, now 12, was five years old, unbeknownst to Adrienne, shegatheredthetoolssheneededtorunalemonadestand.“The humorous part is that we live at the end of a cul-de-sac,” says Adrienne. “Who was going to come by?” Eventually, Adrienne convinced a local grocery store to allow Sarah to sell lemonade at its entrance. Adrienne has accompanied her daughter there each year, and for the last six years, Sarah has collected about $1000 per year. When Matthew, now a junior at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, told Adrienne that he wanted to fulfill his school’s yearly requirement of 15 hours of community service by starting ACEing Autism in Dallas, Adrienne dove in head first. She and Matthew got permission to start the local chapter, became co-program directors, secured a facility at the University of Texas at Dallas and contacted ACEing Autism’s partners like Penn Head to provide equipment. While Matthew recruits volunteers, which come primarily from his high school, and a friend recruits participants, Adrienne markets the program. Very Inspiring Parent AWARD Love…All by Karyn Brodsky ADRIENNE BRANSKY SUPPORTS SON’S EFFORT TO BRING TENNIS TO KIDS WITH AUTISM Adrienne with daughter Sarah, sons Josh and Matthew, and husband, Aaron. “Autism has been a huge part of our family's lives for a long time. We went through so much with Josh and wanted to give back.” - Adrienne Bransky continued on page 67