Side by Side

The unspoken message was: “Your child is different. You’ll have to find a way to manage on your own.”

I realized that my negative, damaging emotions had to be set aside. My son needed me.

Riky Rumpler, the mother of a large family in Stamford Hill, was shaken and overwhelmed by the arrival of her ninth child, who had Down syndrome. Faced with multiple surgeries and ER visits, integrating her son and conquering stigma, she had to summon inner strength she didn’t know she possessed.

In her dramatic transition from victim to victor, Riky embarked on a mission to provide schooling in which special-needs kids could learn alongside mainstream students. Her labor of love evolved from a humble dining-room playgroup into a one-of-a-kind organization.

Mirelle was a young teen when Yiddy was born. Filled with confusion and raw emotions, she struggled to acknowledge her special-needs brother and altered family dynamics while craving the stability of her old life.

Side by Side is the candid, compelling memoir of a mother grappling to accept her perfectly imperfect child, combined with her daughter’s heart-wrenching and heartwarming memories of those telling yet turbulent years. Readers will be inspired by this side-by-side account of the determination of a mother and daughter to embrace their new roles and surpass their expectations.