Licensed ministry candidate, Veronica "Roni" Caciolo, offered her experience with a special-needs child Dec. 13 during a look at caring for such youth.

The topic of the open discussion, which took place at Trinity United Church of Christ, Coplay, was titled "Children: A True Gift to be Cherished."

During the beginning of the presentation Caciolo shared a few numbers. She noted, based on a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009, 1 in 33 children will be born with some sort of disability or special need.

Caciolo is the mother a T.J. Caciolo, an 11-year-old boy born with Kabuki Syndrome (KS), a congenital multiple-malformation syndrome. KS is a life-long disability, having no cure. There are only 400 documented cases in the world, she said.

The day after T.J.'s birth, he was given a 10-percent survival rate, his mother recalled.

"The hardest day of my life was the day I had to leave the hospital without my baby," she said. When the day to take T.J. home finally arrived, doctors told her to "prepare to say goodbye."

"The most beautiful day," however, was when at two-years-old, T.J. had made his way over to her from across the room and put his hands on her face, as she had always done to him when she told him, "I love you."

T.J. sees nine specialists regularly and has had 17 surgeries to date. He suffers from a compromised immune system and is hearing impaired, according to his mother. To communicate, he uses an adapted version of sign language.

Caciolo testified to learning "patience and acceptance" through her challenges. She has "become very aware of judgment," but feels blessed to have been granted "a front-row seat to miracles which most are too busy to notice."

"Special needs children give us some beautiful lessons if we open our hearts and mind to see past what we think we know," she said. She suggested opportunities to get involved and volunteer, such as Camelot, Special Olympics and the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley.

Trinity's pastor, Steven Hummel, and his wife Dawn, spoke of their four years of helping with the autism respite at Calvary Wesleyan Church in Bethlehem. Pastor Hummel calls it "a fantastic respite." Speaking to the room, he explained, "We grow up with egos, while the identity of a special-needs child is to love."

Caciolo is studying to become a pastor and has one year of classes under her belt. Leading the evening's service was a part of her education. She will have two more years of study and two years of internship.

All are welcome to the church services held at 7 p.m. each Thursday. The themes are based on current events or current theological discussions which include speakers from other religious traditions and experts from other disciplines

Pastor Hummel hinted, "Everyone will be pleasantly surprised." The church is located at 17 North 3rd Street in Coplay.