It was -- no kidding -- love at first sight.

Kevin Haney and Lindsey Bothun admit they were high school sweethearts.

They were teenagers who saw the world as their oyster, ready to be opened and explored, when they graduated Austin High School as members of the class of 1997.

Theirs is a common story -- with a twist.

Mutual friends had introduced them years earlier. Nobody could pry them apart.

Eighteen years old and the world was theirs for the taking.

Almost immediately after graduation Kevin started work at Blooming Prairie for Atofina Chemical.

Lindsey went to Riverland Community College and studied cosmetology before taking a job as a stylist at Regis Hairstylists in Oak Park Mall.

It was a variation on the long-held mantra of youth. "I want to rock n' roll all night and party every day," the song lyrics declared.

They did that, to be sure, but they had a dream about life together and, most importantly, a plan: They would keep their day jobs. Careers were important to them.

Then came an unexpected test.

It was St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1998, when their daughter was born.

It could have changed everything about the relationship, but it didn't.

Maybe, the birth made it better.

Kylie Beth was born with cerebral palsy.

The disease comes from damage to the brain which occurs before or during birth or in the first few years of life.

The brain damage may cause severe crippling or the symptoms may be so mild that they hardly interfere with the victim's activities.

According to Kylie Beth's parents, their daughter's cerebral palsy occurred because there was a significant period of hypoxia or lack of oxygen when the baby was born.

About half of one percent of all the people in the world have cerebral palsy.

Being so rare makes it no less tragic.

All sorts of fathers are celebrating Father's Day today.

They come in all sizes, shapes and colors. They are young and old. Single fathers and married fathers. Grandfathers, too.

Good fathers and bad or just indifferent.

Society worries abbot the lack of fathers and too many single mothers raising children alone.

Everybody's father left an imprint on the lives of their children.

Kevin Haney will leave his on the life of his daughter, Kyle Beth.

"Kevin is very loving and very proud of her," said Lindsey Bothun, his partner.

"He likes to have a lot of fun with her. He can act very silly at times with her."

"It's definitely a team effort to raise her. He helps a lot," she said.

"He's pretty laid back. We can't get too excited about things because of what happened," said Bothun.

"There was definitely a sadness, when she was born with cerebral palsy," said Kevin. "We knew it at 8 months so it wasn't the surprise or shock it could have been. But, when Kylie was born, we had our reality check and then we got to work. We just love her so much. She's beautiful."

The couple's families rallied around the parents and their baby.

In Kevin's case, that included Debbie, his mother, and her husband, Bob Kolb, Austin, and Kevin's father, Gary Haney and his wife, Diane, who live in Oklahoma. He has two younger brothers and an older sister.

In Lindsey's case her parents, Vaughn "Spud" and Sue Bothun, Austin and an older brother, Brad, also offered assistance.

In February 2001, strangers came to the couple's rescue. With the help of the Wild Turkey Federation and relatives like Jim McGee a huge benefit was held at Mapleview for the couple and their child.

In between the excitement of the birth and the benefit, the job is strictly the father's and the mothers.

And it's lonely at times. When they need it, they have shown a resolve to seek help from outside sources including Becky Tennis-Hanson of the Early Childhood Special education program of Austin Public Schools and her assistants as well as therapists at Austin Medical Center.

"They're wonderful people, who have helped us a lot," said Lindsey.

So impressed was the father with Tennis-Hanson's targeted intervention that he accepted her offer to join the Parent To Parent Connections organization.

He is the only father among the volunteer parents of special needs children, who help other special needs children's parents.

"It's my pleasure to help," Kevin said. "I would like to give back. I have seen what this community can do for others. I want to do something too."

As Kevin reflects on Father's Day, he cannot ignore the role models in his life.

"They're both my dads," he said of his father and step-father. "They both taught me to live as a man. They're really wonderful people. They both mean a lot to me."

Kevin has a handsome Harley Davidson motorcycle. He and his daughter enjoy sitting on the machine, when its parked in the driveway, while Lindsey sits on the deck nearby and watches father and daughter at play.

Their northwest Austin home is comfortable with a front porch perfect for sitting and watching the world go by with Kylie Beth on a lap and the family's Cocker Spaniel, Leo, panting nearby.

A favorite family activity is camping at Spring Valley.

Does Kevin Haney, who once welcomed life with the free-spirited energy of a teenager, regret anything that has happened to him?

"I'm a very happy father," he said.

For emphasis, he pauses before adding, "We would not change anything."

"She brings so much enjoyment to our lives," said Lindsey.

The birth, according to Kylie Beth's mother, left the couple more aware. "We don't take anything for granted anymore," Lindsey said. "And, we don't sweat the small stuff."

Lindsey said she would tell other parents of special needs children not to be afraid to ask for help. "That's what we did," her husband said.

The mother's wish is that her daughter is happy and healthy.

The father imagines what it would be like to hear his daughter utter a "Dada or Mamma." The four year old can't speak and hearing those magic words would make everything better.

"That would make it for me," said the father. "It really would."

What started out as a case of love at first sight quickly became love at next sight when Kylie Beth came into focus for the mother and father.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com