The Sprocks: Kameryn, 11

His hugs are special, an expression of unconditional affection. “When he gives you a hug, you know he’s putting forth because he wants to,” Sprock said.

A fifth-grader at Fernan Elementary School, Kameryn was born with congenital hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain,” as well as agenesis of the corpus callosum, a rare defect in which the tissue connecting the left and right sides of the brain is missing.

At age 3 he developed compulsive epilepsy. He has mild seizures a few times a week and a grand mal seizure about every two weeks. Nestle, his yellow Lab service dog, senses oncoming seizures and alerts the family.

Kameryn also has cerebral palsy – the type that causes his muscles to be too loose, not tight. He can’t walk but he crawls and is able to hand-feed himself.

“He can bend in ways that make us cringe,” Sprock said.