Understanding, Accepting and Celebrating Andrew, with Kathy Leurck

Kathy and her husband Dave Leurck are the proud parents of 3 children, Andrew, Audrey, and Alexandra. As parents, we of course all hope that our children are born and develop perfectly. But sometimes God has other plans and our dreams change. In Drew’s early years, it was discovered he had special needs and his family did everything they could to understand his condition and “fix it”. However, as time passed and his growth and abilities were better understood, the family came to accept who Drew is and how God made him. This led to his family celebrating everything Drew was teaching them, from how to love more, to having more compassion and patience, and to just appreciating the small and simple things in life. At the age of 7, Drew began drawing rainbows everyday for him mom (he has now drawn over 8000!). This gave Kathy the idea to make a small card that included a picture of one of the rainbows, a snapshot of Drew, and a message that “you’re special.” Since printing the original batch, Drew has handed out over 18,000 cards and made so many others smile. The experiences that came from handing out the cards inspired Kathy to write a book, titled, You're Special: Daily Reflections from God's Children with Exceptionalities, released on December 11, 2022. It is a daily devotional that features Drew and many others with exceptionalities. You can also see some of Drew’s artwork via their foundation, Drew’s Rainbows, where they are helping other artists make a living as thriving artists. Enjoy this uplifting conversation with Matt and Kathy as she shares more about their journey and her realization that we all are quite perfect just as we are. The book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble where you will have the opportunity to embrace 365 days of reflections and embrace Drew's purposeful words: "You're Special." You can also view the video of this interview here -  https://youtu.be/gdVcdvGINso