Awesome mom | A son’s hidden musical talents

“My son David [Cytryniak] was an easy ay super smiley and gorgeous,” said Esther Brzezinski. “His sister Sarah, almost three years older, adored her brother and helped care for him.”

Brzezinski did not perceive anything unusual in her son’s first year. He had even begun to say a few words. This changed after Cytryniak had a high fever. Brzezinski and her husband Howard were out for dinner when she got a call from her mom who was babysitting. They rushed home to find him feverish and disoriented. A cool bath helped. After that day they noticed a change; Cytryniak was less joyful and stopped speaking. They were referred to the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s developmental clinic.

“At 18 months they told us he had delays, including language,” said Brzezinski. “We had sessions with a speech therapist who taught me exercises to help get him talking.” He improved slowly. At age 2, the diagnosis was Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). “I didn’t know what it meant,” Brzezinski said. “I accepted it, to a degree, but was determined to cure my son.” (PDD-NOS is now categorized as an autism spectrum disorder.)

When Cytryniak was 4, Brzezinski’s father clipped an article from the newspaper about a computer program developed at Rutgers University, which could enhance the brain’s ability to acquire language. Using this program, Cytryniak’s speech improved greatly. By the time he started elementary school, his language skills were age-appropriate. But he could not sit still in class and was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Brzezinski moved him to Summit School where she felt they could tackle curriculum at a slower pace. When it was time for high school, they got Cytryniak into Vanguard School, which is primarily for kids with learning disabilities. He attended for a while but it did not work out; he was teased and bullied.

Leaving Vanguard coincided with Brzezinski and her husband separating. “We did not realize at the time that David had become depressed,” said Brzezinski. “He stopped eating and had difficulty sleeping.” Their pediatrician urged them to take him to emergency at The Children’s. He was assessed and kept in the psychiatric ward for three days. They sent him home with a diagnosis of depression and anxiety. He was prescribed two medications and was enrolled in a six-week follow-up program.

“I was actually relieved with the diagnosis as it could have been something much harder to treat,” she said. “We are grateful that he responded well to the medications.” Around this time Cytryniak asked for guitar lessons. He spent long hours in his room, practicing.

On September 13, 2006, 18-year-old Sarah was attending Dawson College when a gunman entered the school and began shooting. She was in a classroom close by, heard the shots and hid under a table. She called her mom to tell her what was happening – then the phone went dead. “I was absolutely terrified and did not know what to do,” Brzezinski said. Cytryniak was worried and disappeared into his room. When his sister was safely home, he emerged and performed a song he had written called “Innocence Lost on a Wednesday.” “It was so beautiful,” said Brzezinski. “We had no idea he could write and sing.”

Cytryniak has continued to focus on music. He has four original songs on Spotify and in YouTube videos under the name David Shawn.

Now in her sixties, Brzezinski has found her calling as well, as an actor. She took classes at MSOPA (Montreal School of Performing Arts) and has appeared in commercials and films. During the Covid-19 pandemic shut-down, she created a TikTok video about ageism that went viral. She hosts a podcast and has become a social media influencer with her brand, “Age is not my cage.”