Friends Help Young Man Desperate To Learn

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A caring community is coming out in force to help a young man who wants desperately to learn.

A GoFundMe page, "A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste," was set up by a group called "Joseph's Chance" in East Hampton.

"The mind is a terrible thing to waste and especially when he wants to learn," the page said.

Joseph Boniello, the page said, is a lively, funny and entertaining young man who only wants to advance his learning but is somewhat restricted by the rare disorder, called agenesis of the corpus callosum.

"Joseph is completing eighth grade, and as his family is looking toward him having success in high school, they have only been receiving denial and disregard for his educational needs," the page said.

Joseph, the page said, was born with the rare birth defect, a congenital disorder, in which there is a complete or partial absence of the corpus callosum.

The disorder occurs when the corpus callosum, a band of white matter connecting the two hemispheres in the brain, doesn't develop normally; the rare birth defect causes poor motor coordination. Those born with the defect face both social and cognitive challenges.

"Joseph is an incredible young man who has channeled his energy into a great talent for bowling," the page said. "His disabilities have restricted his access to some needed assistance in terms of his education. As he applied to many high schools, he was rejected services or was offered special education programs for emotionally challenged students."

His severe learning disability requires him to have full time aide support to comprehend what is being taught, which "aren't being provided by the New York City Board of Education, even though he has scored below middle school grade level on all aspects of the curve," his loved ones said.

What's next for Joseph is the chance to attend a Fusion Academy, a private high school where services such as one-to-one teaching can help students to flourish emotionally, socially, and academically, the page said.

"In order for Joseph to receive these services, his parents need to either pay the $40,000 per year tuition or hire an advocate and attorney to argue for Joseph's rights to seek proper schooling," the page says.

Funds raised will be used to hire an advocate and legal team to help Joseph obtain the education he needs to receive a New York State Regents diploma.

"Every dollar counts towards his education," the page said.

To donate, click here.

Photo courtesy GoFundMe.