An emotional Huffington Post Article from Journalist Dominic Carter on the remarkable work of Foster Parents, and his son's battle with Epilepsy

1. This photo is one of the best days ever for the Carter Family. My son Dominic Jr., just the
other day, celebrating his Birthday with his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, but we
will come back to that.
Foster Parents are phenomenal, and I ask this question. Do you see what I see.
Yes, many of the similar dictionary words connected to "phenomenal," apply to foster
parents and Child Abuse Prevention Professionals. Remarkable, Exceptional, Extraordinary,
Incredible, Astonishing. Let's not leave out "amazing" human beings to step up on behalf of
children that need love. A Voice for the Voiceless.
Foster Parents and Child Abuse Prevention Professionals are incredible and at the same
time so unassuming. They do what they do to protect children, and rarely stop to think
about just how special they are, for doing so. They don't brag. They do what they feel they
have to. At the end of the day, somebody has to step up.
It is so amazing, honorable and humbling to actually talk to foster parents, and such Child
Abuse Professionals. As someone, who was in Foster Care as a toddler, as someone who has
had my share of ups and downs in life, I know firsthand, what Foster Parents do is priceless.
One deed at a time, we can make the world a better place.
I'm blessed to witness this all the time with foster parents and Child Abuse Prevention
Professionals. In September alone, from Ontario Canada, all the way to Dallas, Texas.

2. In Dallas, the last weekend in September, bright and early on a beautiful Saturday morning,
I met amazing foster parents like Marlene and Dwight Steiner, Kent Farr, President Rhonda
Loth and Executive Director Roy Block. They are all part of the Texas Foster Parent
Association.
Two weeks prior, in Canada, and under the theme "Fostering.. the Future," I watched as
members of the foster parents society of Ontario organization proudly told me stories about
"their kids." That's the way foster parents talk, as protective as ever of the children in their
care.One lady having more than 128 children in her home throughout the years, and there
were countless similar stories.
We gathered on a Friday night, and I was their keynote speaker. A capacity full crowd and
no one rushed to go somewhere else.
Under their president Cecile Brookes, Foster Parents were taking their time saluting other
foster parents, and I was enjoying every moment. The Foster Parents Society of Ontario was
formed in 1973 in Toronto, and they work with the provincial government there. One lovely
Foster parent Susan Holyome, recently sent me this message:
"So glad that foster parents all over the world are making a difference in the children's
lives."
There were many dignitaries there, like Irwin Elman, the Provincial Advocate for Children
and Youth, but yes Susan Holyome, foster parents all over the world are making a difference
in Children's lives. In Texas, I also traveled to BearCreekCommunity Church in Irving,
meeting the great pastor there, Rev. Dennis Webb Sr. Pastor Webb has had a tremendous
impact on his local community, and is even a member of the City Council there.
That brings me back to my original premise of small deeds are making the world a better
place.
My son has not had an easy road in life. He's so young at the age of 22, but has had to
overcome so much. Dominic Jr. is twice the man I will ever be.
Due to epilepsy and a learning disability, school officials told us Dominic would never be
able to graduate from high school. I am thankful for my wife Marilyn, that has worked so
hard with him, and the education officials that never gave up on Dominic.
In life never give up, never stop trying, and whatever you do, never concede to the nay-
sayers.
We are very proud that not only did Dominic graduate from high school and on-time, but
this summer he completed his two year degree from Rockland Community College, and like
his dad, and sister Courtney, majored in Communications -- Radio/TV. God willing,
Dominic is set to graduate with his bachelor's degree in about two years from a nearby
college in New York, SUNY-Purchase.

3. Achieving anything in life that is worthwhile is not easy, and Dominic's road has been tough.
Dominic failed the required English Class three times, and the fourth time when he was
finally earning a passing grade, he was hospitalized with an unknown virus and had to
withdraw from all his classes for the semester.
But if you never give up, the silver lining in always within reach.
All Dominic Jr. wanted to know as he laid in that hospital bed with tubes and a intravenous
line as Doctors were forced to do all types of painful tests to find the cause of the virus was
when he could go back to school. His father had no answer. It broke my heart. When backed
against the wall, my answer is always half full and optimism. Soon you can go back to
school, I said, but honestly I had no idea.
All his mother and I could do was take turns sleeping overnight at the hospital with him.
This has been the "norm" for us for years. That, and running as fast as we could to our child
whenever there was a loud noise in the house or shower because it meant Dominic had a
seizure. Most times, we were "lucky," because he had just slumped over with the seizure, but
there were times at 6:00 AM, when he feel down the steep stairs and was laying in a pool of
blood unconscious, requiring an immediate Emergency Room trip.
Sometimes "that" call would come in over the years, right before I went on TV, hosting my
nightly political show, that our son had been rushed to the hospital because he had a seizure
on campus. When I arrived at the hospital, he would always ask was I alright, and say he
was o.k. Then Dominic Jr. would follow up with, "Dad I just don't want to be hospitalized
again."
But Dominic Jr. is the definition of perseverance. Eventually he made it back to Rockland
Community College, and educators there worked with him.
I'm extremely proud of my son because Dominic finally passed that English class.
Small Deeds are making the world a better place.
That's why the photo at the top of the article means so much to Dominic's mother, to me, to
Dominic's sister Courtney who one year ran in a marathon to fund epilepsy research. The
photo is all about overcoming adversity, about we all fall down in life, the question is do you
get back up.
We are extremely thankful to Mr. Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys football
organization.
The Cowboys honored Dominic's 22nd birthday at the game against the New Orleans Saints,
and even gave him a great Dallas Cowboys gift bag. One of Mr. Jones executives,Mr. Matt

4. Coy, the Director of Event Presentation, made sure Dominic's birthday was special. The
Cowboys won that day, but they also made sure my son won, like many children
unfortunately who have had so much pain.
Dominic Jr. on this day was on top of the world, and all at once, sitting there in the Dallas
Cowboys stadium, the years flooded through my mind. My child being hospitalized so many
times but under the excellent care of the epilepsy center at NYU hospital, the seizures
limiting my son from not being able to play organized sports, to at times feeling that life can
be so unfair at times.
But we were so blessed at the home of the cowboys. I stand corrected, we are all so blessed.
I broke down and cried, but did so privately out of the sight of my son.
Whether its foster parents, child abuse professionals, educators, or the Dallas Cowboys,
Small Deeds make the world a better place. Do you see what I see.
Follow Dominic Carter on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Dominictv
MORE:
Matt CoyJerry JonesDallas CowboysDominic Carter Jr.Marilyn CarterRev. Dennis WebbRockland Community
CollegeSuny PurchaseCourtney CarterEpilepsySusan HolyomeDominic CarterProvincial Advocate for Children and
YouthThe Foster Parents Society of OntarioPresident Cecile BrookesMarlene and Dwight SteinerTexas Foster
Parent AssociationLove Matters
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dominic-carter/small-deeds-are-making-th_b_5921902.html