The Kaufmans

The Kaufman family is made up of seven members. Kellijo and Rodney have been married for 16 years and their daily life revolves around their 5 children. Austin, 14, lives with Aspergers alongside Kayla, 11. Cody, 9, is deaf, a genetic condition due to Waardenburg Syndrome. Bryce, 6, is the youngest boy of the family, and most recently, Aliyah, 4, is also deaf due to Waardenburg, like her brother.

Bryce (Left) and Cody (Right) Kaufman sleep on their couch at home in Newark, N.Y. before getting ready for school on Sept. 27, 2019. The family returned home late the previous night and the kids fell asleep in the living room.

Aliyah Kaufman drinks milk while standing in her playpen on Sept. 27, 2019. In the Kaufman household, the TV is always on as to entertain the children.

Rodney Kaufman kisses his daughter, Aliyah, before she departs for daycare on Sept. 27, 2019. Rodney and his wife, Kellijo Kaufman, are stay at home parents during the week. On weekend nights, they sell roses at local bars and eateries.

Bryce stands on the bus, looking back at his mother, Kellijo, who is signing "I love you" before he departs for school on Sept. 27, 2019. American Sign Language is commonly used as a form of communication in the Kaufman household.

A Kaufman family portrait from Christmas 2018.

Rodney gives one of the three family dogs, Charlie, a bath outside on Sept. 27, 2019. The tattoos on his left arm honor his son, RJ, who passed away seven years ago from Stage 4 Neuroblastoma at the time of this photo being taken.

Kellijo wraps her arms around Rodney as they wait for the children to return home from school on Sept. 27, 2019. All 5 children attend different schools which makes the span of them coming home around 2 hours.

Rodney holds Aliyah up in the air during a fall corn maze on Oct. 20, 2019.

Kellijo puts purple nail polish on her daughter, Aliyah's hand from a kit Kayla was using earlier to paint her dads toenails on Jan. 25, 2020. Kellijo used the nail polish as a fun way to help start teaching her daughter different ASL signs for colors.

Kellijo frosts Rally, a character from Puppy Dog Pals on June, 12, 2020 for Aliyah's fourth birthday party the next day. Kellijo grew up with the tradition of her mother making homemmade cakes for family birthdays, something she does for her children now.

Bryce blows out the candles on his fourth birthday cake on Feb. 19, 2020. Bryce's favorite character is Mickey Mouse which was the theme of both his party and cake.

Bryce, plays at his younger sister's classroom during the Rochester School for the Deaf open house on Sept. 26, 2019. Deafness is a condition that runs in Bryce's family; his grandparents are both deaf as well as two of his siblings who attend RSD. Bryce is not deaf.