Project bobby pics

A Life with Autism As told by

Nicole Petrocchi

This is my little brother Robert Patrick Petrocchi, but we call him Bobby. Bobby was diagnosed at 24 months old with Autism, which in turn inhibits his learning, verbal, higher thinking, and communicative skills. For the rest of his life, Bobby will need constant assistance and supervision.

“It does make me sad to look at sometimes, because I know he never will be your average everyday teenaged boy, but he’s always a champion in my eyes,” Doreen Petrocchi said about the birth announcement that hangs in Bobby’s room.

This photo was taken days before Bobby’s diagnosis. “He started developing like every other boy his age- he was walking and moving around normally. It was his lack of interaction and speaking skills that were troubling to us,” Bob Petrocchi, Bobby’s father, said.

Bobby’s room is packed with Disney characters. He has huge pictures of Finding Nemo, Brother Bear, and Tarzan that cover every wall in his room. His shelves are meticulously lined with action figures, toy cars and any Disney character known to man.

As of this moment, Bobby has over 40 Buzz Lightyear action figures in his room alone. “Everytime he gets a haircut, a new Buzz Lightyear makes an appearance in our house,”Jackie Petrocchi, Bobby’s younger sister explains.

“It is never a dull moment with Bobby- you could feel so unhappy or agitated and he could just give you that half smile and you just melt,” Bobby’s speech instructor, Sophia Cappolla admitted.

Bobby has been an active participant in the special Olympics for over 10 years now. This winter he was featured on the front page of the Hunterdon Democrat for winning 1st place in the downhill skiing portion of the 2012 Winter Games.

In total, Bobby has won over 20 gold medals in the ten years he has participated in the Special Olympics. “When he hears ‘Special Olympics’ he claps his hands smiles, laughs and grabs his travel bag,” Bob Petrocchi said.

One of Bobby’s favorite things to do in the world is swim- whether it’s the pool or the ocean, Bobby is swimming in it. Nothing stops him.

When he was eight years old, Bobby shoved a slice of pizza into a multimedia system worth hundreds of thousands of dollars- then fixed it in a matter of seconds. Since then we have discovered that Bobby can fix any type of electronic device you put in front of him. If it plays a DVD of VHS, he can make it work.

This is a Father’s Day Card that my father still keeps in his side table drawer from 2002. “Every Dad wants to talk to his son, and this is how he talks to me,” Bob said.

Every morning at 6 am, Bobby is given a multitude of vitamins that help regulate his hormone levels, which in turn help him control his behaviors. Along with vitamins, Bobby takes two types of seizure medications, that control his puberty- induced seizures.

Bobby has the greatest sense of humor. When we take long car rides, if you make faces at him in the mirror he’ll mimic them and until you laugh with him.

“He changes you. He’s so sweet and gentle- not like other kids with this disorder. Usually they lack that emotional connection with family members- but not him,” Bobby’s Godfather Michael Hassett admits.

“He cracks everyone up at Camp,” one of his camp Counselors Emily shares, “he just does the most outrageous things and then sparks this infectious laugh. He’s everyone’s favorite- even though that’s not allowed.”

Every single time I bring him to get his haircut, we go to get pizza next door. He is so happy and excited to be there that he physically cannot stop himself from laughing.

If Bobby’s at the beach, everything is perfect in his eyes. “He would always ask for three things when we were together: Mommy and Dad, Nik and Jackie, and the beach,” Tremaine, one of Bobby’s former teachers recounts.

Bobby has 4 different baseball jerseys and wants to wear each one every single day. He is absolutely fascinated by baseball- he asks to go to a game every week. Here at the Phillies game, Bobby would burst out of his seat any time a player ran to a base, and high five every one around him.

When we drive back and forth from our beach house in Rhode Island, the entire time our dog Sam sits on Bobby’s lap and falls asleep to him rubbing his head.