Laughing is the best medicine

Cody’s eyes were as bright as the sun while he was tossing the pigskin with his little cousin, Devon. He never even thought of his cousin as being different or out of the ordinary. He was simply part of the family and that’s all that mattered to him. Devon sprinted across the driveway in short strides, opening up his arms to catch the ball. His streaky black hair was dangling in his face as he looked up at the sky towards the ball.

“You got this one bud!” yelled Cody as he chucked the ball from one side of the yard towards Devon.

Cody’s facial expression was just like that of a proud father who was watching his son go for the big catch at the end of the fourth quarter. The happiness was pouring out of him.

The fact that Devon required care 24 hours of the day and constant supervision seemed normal after all these years that Cody had taken care of him.

Cody McColgan, a 20-year-old college student at Florida Gulf Coast University, has the beard of a 30-year-old man and a deeper voice than most decade-long smokers. You would never know that he is rather quiet and shy.

He is very passionate about spending time with his family and chooses family time over going out any day. Being the youngest out of five brothers, he had to learn how to deal with the lack of attention paid to him in his younger years. In between getting straight A’s and taking his girlfriend of over one year out for date night, Cody spends his spare time with his four brothers and his 8-year-old Cousin who goes by Devon.

“Growing up, my father always tried to preach to us that no matter what, it is always going to be us. Girlfriends will come and go, but we will always be here for one another,” said McColgan after being asked about how the strength of his family bond came to be.

Devon is handicapped and was born with Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder that is associated with physical growth disabilities along with mild to moderate intellectual disability. But that does not stop him from having fun and living his life to the fullest.

He has the characteristic facial features that come with having Down Syndrome. Greasy black hair hangs in his hazel-colored eyes while he plays and his stout fingers tend to be covered in dirt and filth from playing football outside in the yard. His voice is rather high-pitched, especially when he sings. He might only be four feet tall but his voice and smile are impossible to miss.

His smile is contagious and will have you wishing you smiled as often as he does. The front of row of baby teeth is no longer there, leaving a gap right at the center of his mouth. Most of us had this little situation going on when were children.

He enjoys playing and swimming in the pool until his skin gets wrinkly. He does, however, only have the mental capacity of a late-blooming 2-year-old child. He can’t talk or write. He doesn’t know how to use the restroom on his own so he wears a diaper. He doesn’t really know how to deal with stress or anger so he throws temper tantrums several times a day. He can’t communicate his feelings, so he does not attend school. He has been home-schooled his entire life.

Because Devon’s father spends so much time at work making sure that there is enough money for medical bills, therapy sessions and treatments, the McColgans’ took Devon under their wing when he was born. He lives with them in Cape Coral, Florida. They feed him, bathe him, and spend as much time as possible with him trying to make him laugh.

McColgan grew up without a mother, and that’s why family time is so important to him. His mother started smoking crystal meth right after he was born, so custody was given to his father and not up until McColgan was 12 did he meet his mother for the first time, but only due to a mandated court order.

While Devon might never be able to go to school, Cody, his father and his sibling are ensuring that his childhood is one that he will never forget. They take him on hikes through nature trails, go camping with him and let him do whatever he wants to as often as possible. As long as there is adult supervision, almost any activity is fair game.

McColgan grins as he gets ready to cook dinner for Devon.

“Devon does things that we think are hilarious. He is family. He might curse out of nowhere and you never expect that to come from his mouth. He sings and dances and does quirky stuff. It brings all of us together. It can be hard sometimes but we always have a good time together.”