Austin Branham, age 26

Photograph by John Lowry (2020)

Austin loves to see himself in pictures, and he loves to be around people. He particularly likes to make people laugh and smile. Austin also enjoys going to church, playing video games, and singing karaoke. He is an avid Carolina Panthers fan.

As a young child, Austin struggled with seizures and developmental delays. Austin has a diagnosis of autism. Through it all, he always smiled. Austin brings his family joy beyond measure. He is kind and loving. He enjoys mailing cards to his friends just to say hello. In high school, he was in the annual Mr. Lugoff Elgin pageant. Each year, he won Mr. Congeniality. After he left, the school named the award the Austin Branham Congeniality Award. If Austin’s mom Stacy had one word to describe him, it would be “happy”!

Stacy says, “I want the world to know despite his disability he is a young man with hopes and dreams. He wants to be accepted! If you look past his disabilities, you will surely see his capabilities.”

Family Connection of South Carolina provides services and resources to families who have a child with a disability or specialized healthcare need. Since 1990 we have served more than 100,000 families and today our services are needed more than ever. We focus on parent-to-parent support, guidance with navigating the complex healthcare system, and assistance with school meetings and special education plans.

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