Walking at Graduation: One Senior's Story

His mother says the goal is to have him walk at graduation. A common enough goal for a high school senior this time of year, right?

Becky Shaughnessy, though, was speaking as her son Connor was using a wheelchair. It was two weeks after brain stimulation surgery for a rare genetic disorder known as Myoclonus dystonia.

Connor, a senior at Nashua High School South, had a doctor put 65 staples in his head. He was down to just three staples. Today, however, he is proving that some steps are bigger than others:

Connor is now is walking without use of that wheelchair – well ahead of graduation June 14.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Connor says in a recent interview.

Becky and Mark Shaughnessy are trying to build awareness for Myoclonus dystonia. They are helping their son grow stronger by the day. They are helping him live – as much as possible given the circumstances – like your typical high school senior.

They are also working to pay medical expenses. To that end, an online fundraising site was established to help them pay some of those bills. The fundraising goal is $5,000.

Becky Shaughnessy says her son was diagnosed nine years ago with Myoclonus and, then, last November, with the dystonia form. It is a rare genetic neurological disorder. It is so rare that his Myoclonus dystonia (DTY11) is believed to be the first known case in New England.

Connor is taking it all in stride, and with a composure beyond his age. He is 17. He likes video games, movies, videos, and skiing – though he was unable to ski this past winter. 

And he has big plans for after graduation: Onondaga College, to study electronic media communications, and later possibly a career in video production. The world is big and full of choices and chances.

First, Connor has a couple of big steps to take in the near future, like walking at graduation. 

In an interview, Connor discusses it all in unassuming fashion. "The doctors are amazing," he says. "The recovery is coming along pretty well."
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A benefit for the Shaughnessy family is June 21, starting at 6 p.m., at the Merrimack VFW at 282 Daniel Webster Highway.

On the web:
Connor S. Myoclonus Dystonia DYT11 Fund