Alana Gohn, 16, of Solon, had been the inspiration for LiveSpecial.com as her parents, Scott Gohn and Elaine Eisner sought to find more resources for their daughter and other families in the region. Alana was diagnosed with HUWE1-related neurodevelopmental disorder last year after her family spent years searching for answers. The condition impacts brain development, intellectual disability and other health issues. Her parents were a driving force for the development of the LiveSpecial.com project in conjunction with the National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland (NCJW/CLE), which serves Northeast Ohio. Now, years later, Eisner shares what access means to her daughter as LiveSpecial.com magazine publishes its 11th edition.
“It means allowing somebody the opportunity to try anything with any adaptation necessary. Sometimes we just have to think outside the box. A perfect example, we took Alana to a waterpark and they were absolutely not going to let her go into the lazy river because you had to sit on a raft. She does not have the ability to sit on a raft and freaks out. So we got a manager to show what Alana can do and they let us do it. I think you just have to keep pushing the envelope to be included in anyway possible.” — Elaine Eisner
