For Donna , New York City was the answer . “ New York just has that special vibe that shouts ‘ You are allowed to be whoever
you want to be and nobody is judging you here !’ New York exudes an ‘ air ’ although sometimes super stinky at times , that you can do anything you set your mind to . There is so much opportunity that it is truly yours for the taking if you want to work for it . A little bit of talent with hard work , dedication and drive , and you can truly be unstoppable .”
Since moving to NYC , Donna says that it has been worth the hardship to see her sons in their element , working so hard , and genuinely happy doing what they love to do .
“ Burke is actually smiling , laughing and looking forward to living life now .” His confidence and self-esteem have been restored to new heights . He is finally comfortable in his own skin and is chasing his passion . NYC has restored Burke “ back to whom he used to be and you cannot put a price tag on that .”
Donna warns that while this has been a great move for her sons , it has required a great deal of sacrifice . Having worked on a multitude of different sets and projects , with some being great experiences and others being not so great , the life of a performer is “ not the glamour that most people envision .” It is not as easy and involves a ton of work for both the children and the parents . There is a lot of running around and waiting , working under less than ideal circumstances , learning local laws and obtaining work permits and Coogan Accounts , a lack of sleep and the huge absence of normalcy . It ’ s definitely not the life of a “ typical ” child . But then again , performers rarely are ever “ typical ”.
Not all stories of kids moving to New York end up so well as this one . While Burke and Braeden still have a long road and a lot of work ahead of them , this reaffirms the need to believe in yourself and to follow your dreams . It ’ s also a reminder to parents that no matter the dream , with a whole lot of love and support , our children can accomplish anything they choose to . There is no limit to what we can achieve .
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