Liam’s Story:
A Place Where Liam Belongs

Liam is the kind of kid people notice.

He’s bright, expressive and endlessly curious. He asks questions without hesitation about your day, your car, your pets. He wants to connect. Always.

“He’s one in a billion,” his mom, Joanne, shared. “He’s just super happy, go-lucky, very positive. He’s a joy to be around.”

But the world this 12-year-old moves through isn’t always built with him in mind.

Liam has a rare genetic condition, with fewer than 200 known cases worldwide, so finding the right support hasn’t always been easy.

He will walk up to anyone and start a conversation, but he doesn’t always recognize boundaries or potential risks in those interactions.

“You’re always kind of apprehensive, wondering how is this person going to react?”

“There was nothing. As soon as we heard about Between Friends… it was a no-brainer.”

Through programs that connect youth with disabilities to each other and their broader community, Between Friends creates opportunities for real connection—bringing participants into everyday spaces where inclusion is the norm.

This program is made possible through donors supporting United Way’s Community Impact Fund.

Finding Between Friends became a turning point for Liam and his mom.

It was an environment Liam didn’t have to adjust himself to fit in—the space simply included him.

“I fell in love with him the instant I met him,” one staff member shared. “He’s just always so happy!”

He made friends, explored the city, swam, played and laughed without hesitation.

“He definitely has more of a social network now,” his mom said.

Joanne embraces and celebrates her son, but there have been challenges. Balancing full-time work with Liam’s needs while trying to find the right support has often felt impossible.

“I could relax into it and not stress out about it. I wasn’t worried I was going to get a call.”

In those hours while Liam was at camp or in a program, she found something she hadn’t had in a long time: space.

Time to focus on her husband and other son. Time to manage daily life without guilt. Time to simply breathe.

“It just helped in so many ways,” she said. Through Between Friends, Joanne was even connected with respite workers, trusted people who step in and support her at home. This gives her the freedom to reconnect with her own life and community again.

For people like Liam and Joanne, this sense of connection is everything. Belonging is beyond just being included. It’s about showing up as you are, and knowing you will be met with openness, not hesitation.

For Liam, a boy who never hesitated to say hello, there is now a profound difference: He’s found a place where people always say it back.

Through United Way’s Community Impact Fund, more children can find that same sense of belonging when it matters most.