Precerpt from Raising God's Rainbow Makers: Shane's Early Jobs
When Shane was in seventh grade, age 11, and bored, he learned that Doah's elementary school has received a gift of Apple IIc computers. Computers were very new at the time, and none of the faculty knew how to use them. The school put out a call for a volunteer parent to help. No parents were forthcoming; they did not know much about computers. Shane did. His dad Donny had been using computers since the day they first came out, and he taught Shane. Shane had an instinct for such things and quickly became proficient and even intuitive about new programs. So, he asked the principal for time off to be the volunteer at Doah's school. He was faithful to the schedule, and the school librarian, whose library housed the computer, took a shine to Shane and whenever some special program was taking place at school, she made sure he got to attend it.
That was Shane's first "job." Unpaid, of course,
He had another "job" the same year. On Thursdays he came into State Department with me, where one of the training supervisors gave him an informal (of course, unpaid) internship. He quickly became the darling there, as he helped folks with computer skills and worked in collaboration with the computer consultant. He learned a lot, as well as taught a lot. He became such an accepted part of the team that once a visitor, seeing Shane seated in front of a computer together with an instructor, commented with surprise, "You teach children here?"
"No," replied the accompanying public affairs officer without a second thought, "the little boy is teaching the big man."
The following year, we moved to California. Shanne, by request, ended up in the external program for eighth grade, which had computer-based instruction in the morning; the afternoons were his own. Once a week he had a math professor from the local college as a pre-calculus instructor, arranged by the junior high school, when the teacher realized that Shane was operating on a math level beyond his own.
He recommended Shane for an open adjunct computer science position at the community college. And yes, Shane could have handled it, but there was a complication. The HR office called. I got the call. They asked for Shane. When I told him he was not home, the person on the line, learning that I was a relative, asked me to confirm his birthdate because there appeared to be a mistake because the date on the paperwork would make him, ha-ha, a 12-year-old! "He is a 12-year-old," I responded. End of that job offer!
His first real, paid work began when he was 14. He took on a tech position at the American Global Studies Institute, where he did legal research (and the local law library allowed him access -- after getting past the shock of his size (age). Shane very much enjoyed that work. He also handled much tech-related work -- helping remote offices telephonically to set up their modems and other new technology, meeting with a tech specialist at a Stanford department selling excess computers, training personnel in computer programs, and even helping to replace a lost passport from a visiting teacher from Japan.
Those jobs are not on his resume. He says no one would believe him. He is probably correct.
Book Description:
Raising God's Rainbow Makers
A Family Memoir of Grace, Grit, and Growing Up Different
What happens when a military family welcomes four children—each with wildly different needs—into a world not always built to support them?
In Raising God’s Rainbow Makers, one mother shares the remarkable journey of raising two children with complex disabilities—one with spina bifida, one with CHARGE Syndrome—and two intellectually gifted children, all born in different states during years of military life. Through medical crises, educational challenges, and societal roadblocks (both intentional and unintentional), this honest and inspiring memoir tells the story of how one family built a life of strength, compassion, and resilience.
With warmth and unflinching honesty, the author reflects on emergency surgeries, IEP battles, unexpected victories, and the fierce sibling bonds that formed in the face of it all. The children—now grown—bear witness to the power of support, faith, and never giving up.
This is not just a story of survival. It is a celebration of difference, a chronicle of hope, and a powerful testament to what love and determination can build when the world says "impossible."
Keywords:
Parenting memoir; Special needs parenting; Raising children with disabilities; Military family life; Family resilience; Inspirational family story; Faith-based memoir; Coping with medical challenges; Sibling support stories; Gifted children; Spina bifida; CHARGE Syndrome; Hydrocephalus; Congenital disabilities; Complex medical needs; Pediatric neurosurgery; IEP and special education; Gifted education; Educational advocacy; Inclusive education; Hope and healing; Courage and strength; Love and perseverance; Raising different children; Disability acceptance; Parenting through adversity; Overcoming barriers; Finding joy in hardship; Special needs journey; Family unity and support; For parents of disabled children; For parents of gifted children; For educators and therapists; Christian parenting memoir; For families facing rare diagnoses; Real-life parenting stories; Memoirs about raising children; Stories of medical miracles
For more posts about Elizabeth and her books, click HERE.
Read more stories -- and photos -- about the Mahlou family in the blog (no longer maintained), Clan of Mahlou.
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