Karey Riddell and her son, Wesley Smith, have been right beside each other, on an unexpected ride, for Wesley's entire life. Riddell started noticing small differences in Wesley within his first two years of life, but they did not receive a proper diagnosis for his acute autism until he was five years old. The time between was filled with stress, misdiagnosis, and guilt brought upon by what was perceived to be poor parenting.

One of the biggest changes for Riddell was that all of her time was now being focused on Wesley. Her days used to be filled to the brim with work, PTA meetings, household chores, and other miscellaneous activities. Now, her center of attention, at all times, was Wesley's growth and development. This was particularly difficult for Riddell, because maintaining a sense of control over some aspects of her life helped her self esteem.

Wesley has loved playing brass instruments since he first began four years ago. Pursuing his musical inclinations has been a driving force for him to attend public school for a full school year because he plans on making a career in the music industry when he finishes school.

"The fact that he's in band amazes me every single time I see him perform. Band is loud, I mean, this is the kid who used to have his hands over his ears when an airplane would be in the sky," said Wesley's mother, Karey Riddell.

As Wesley gets older, he has begun to take on more responsibilities for himself and his family. "Just like any other teenager trying to be independent, it's a big deal for him to do that, and I didn't think we would get here," said his mother, Karey Riddell.

Although Wesley is doing much better at handling his responsibilities, he occasionally still needs help from his mother. Luckily, she has been able to set up an at home office so she can tend to her business and still be there for Wesley.

In a typical school year, Wesley would have an aide with him to help keep him focused on work and on track with school assignments. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this role is now being filled by his mother. "We're trying to figure out what school should be like for Wesley and trying to get services in place. That's a hard journey for any parent whose kid needs special education services, especially when you don't know the exact needs," said his mother, Karey Riddell.

Fortunately, Wesley is still able to attend tutoring sessions at his school, Harrison County High School once a week for two hours, or twice a week for one hour. “Hopefully we'll see what this comes to look like here in a few weeks when they can do two days a week and the rest online," said his mother, Karey Riddell.

Owning her own business also benefits her family, because Riddell is able to adjust her work schedule to fit her home life. "At the end of the day, a successful business person can have freedoms of scheduling. I could never have a set job when I have all of these other obligations and responsibilities," said Riddell.

Even though it has been her dream to own her own business and contribute to the growth of her town, Riddell faced unexpected grief when she realized so many of the families who frequent her business have a different reality than her. "I actually had a really hard time when I opened the Burley...seeing families sit down together, having meals together, kids eating what their parents were eating, and I didn't have that," said Riddell.

At times, she also must juggle both of her jobs at once, causing her to not perform to the level which she desires. This can also have a negative effect on Wesley, as sometimes he feels he's not able to get the help from his mother that he wants. "I'm feeling distracted because not only am I having Wesley coming to me with questions or needing help with something, I've got my staff calling me, or vendors calling me, or issues coming up that need my attention right then and there. So it's just very noisy and cluttered for both of us right now," said Riddell.

While it's challenging enough for her to manage all of her everyday tasks, Riddell still finds time to focus on the wellbeing and betterment of others. A large part of the business model for The Burley Market & Cafe is using locally grown ingredients in the majority of their food items. This sentiment has been a large part of Riddell's life since her teenage years and she wants to help bring awareness to its importance within her community.

Evans Orchard is one of four farms that Karey Riddell frequents on a weekly basis to source items for The Burley Market and Cafe.

On top of all of this, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even harder for Riddell to handle everything on her plate. "Wesley's ever-changing, the business is new, it's just really difficult. You throw a pandemic in the middle of it all, and it makes an already very difficult situation, even more stressful," said Riddell.

Riddell has had to utilize whatever time she has to focus on her responsibilities. Though it can be trying and test her patience, the reason behind her embarking on this path is filled with good intentions. She keeps this at the forefront of her thoughts and it is a driving force for her to keep going. "I hope that the hard work pays off…allowing us to have some of life's pleasures and to give back to the world," said Riddell.

The long hours and hectic schedule can be challenging, but seeing her son grow into himself makes it all worthwhile. "I want him to be happy, but, find happiness within his own skin," said Riddell.