2 minute read

MEET THE JOSEPH FAMILY

from December 2021 issue Special Needs Living Magazine

by Special Needs Living

from December 2021 issue Special Needs Living Magazine, page 48

Article from: December 2021 issue Special Needs Living Magazine

Non-Profit Spotlight

featured family

By: Rae Swift

Photos by 21 VINES Photography

Kellie and Tony Joseph have a blended family with six children, ranging in age from 25 to 13. Both from Indiana, they previously lived in the Bargersville/ Greenwood area and have since moved to Plainfield. The entire family tries to get together about once a month. Their oldest, Kennedy, works for 21 Electric while her husband, Zach, is a REALTOR®. Taylor, 24, works for Lids Corporation after having graduated from Ball State. Colyn, 22, also works for 21 Electric while going to Indiana University. Addison, 21, currently attends University of Indianapolis while Kailee, 20, is attending Franklin College. The youngest, Brody, is 13 and attends Plainfield Middle School.

Brody was born prematurely and weighed in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome after some genetic testing and later was diagnosed with ADHD when Tony suggested some of his behaviors were similar to Colyn’s. Kellie says, “It was put to me very simply when Brody was born. My doctor told me that he wanted his ‘traditional’ son to be a star football player, a prom king, a genius ... but you don’t get to choose that for any child. He ended up with a great son who is not an athlete or prom king, gets A’s and B’s, but most of all is just a great kid! So just keep an open mind as to what YOUR child is good at and support them 100%! They will only accomplish what YOU think they can accomplish, so set the sky as your limit!”

Kellie says Brody is incredibly charismatic and makes friends easily at school. He loves the outdoors from running an RC car on the track at Washington Township Park in Avon and on the beach down in Florida.

On top of raising their big blended family, Kellie and Tony pride themselves on their work. Tony owns 21 Electric, which serves Indianapolis and the surrounding counties. He has been in the electrical business for 35 years. Kellie owns 21 Payment Solutions, a female-owned and family-operated business that provides credit card processing solutions for all types of businesses and “prides itself on representing the Down syndrome community and supporting programs through donations that help with research and development for Brody’s growth and future opportunities.”