Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/180984
Much of this dates back to a terrible day in 2008. The twins, particularly Austin, are obsessed with Disney. They can rattle off the director and producers of every Disney film, and they often call people by the names of Disney characters. (Ana, who laughed as she called herself "the sergeant, " is often addressed as Evil Queen or Evil Stepmother or Cruella. Curt is Scar, but sometimes he gets Cruella, too. The twins called a teacher Rasputin.) Sometimes, as Ana told ESPN in a feature on the Warner family that aired in December 2011, the twins "think they are in a Disney movie. " One day Austin, then 12, thought he was Pinocchio, trapped in the belly of a whale. Pinocchio got out by setting a fire, so Austin followed his father, discovered where the matches were hidden in the garage, and later returned to get them and set a fire in his bedroom. Ana found out when she saw Austin creeping up the steps with a glass of water to put out the fire. Jonathan, who was home sick from school that day, helped her get the twins out of the house, and they piled in the car and waited outside for Curt to race home from work. Their home was destroyed, along with many mementos from Warner's career. As ESPN put it, his AFC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year trophies melted. That's not to say there aren't joys. The Warners rebuilt their home – with extra-thick walls. They found a school where the twins are learning, although they're not being challenged as much as Curt and Ana would like. They adopted a daughter, Isabella. They watched Jonathan help lead his Camas (Wash.) High School team to the state semifinals. They are thrilled as they see more options and more support become available for autistic children and their families. There are movie nights – usually Dis- ney, of course – and family trips to the theme park. Ana records milestones like new words or properly using the bathroom on sticky notes, the better to remember. "Count your blessings," Ana told attendees at the conference. "It helps a lot. You're going to have dark days, so remember to count your blessings. Write them down and read them, the funny stories. When you're sad, you'll laugh at stuff like that. It will brighten up your day." And now, the Warners are beginning to talk about their experiences. "I think the most important thing in this whole situation comes down to having faith," Curt said, ending his talk. "I will say that again and again and again: You've got to have some faith because this is a struggle that doesn't end. … It's an ongoing process; it's not something you volunteer for. You're picked; you've got to deal with I it. So God bless all of you."