A Blessing in Disguise
Easter Sunday, 2001, delivered an extra special blessing to me and my family, for that was the day my first grandbaby was born. On this day, my daughter went into labor. At approximately 11:30, we checked into the labor and delivery department of the hospital in which she'd chosen to have her baby. Weeks before, she was told her baby was breech and she could expect to have a cesarean unless she was willing to allow them to do a special procedure called an external version to try to turn the baby. I was totally against it and vocalized my opinion, but my daughter consented. This procedure went as scheduled, but was unsuccessful. No worries, though, because millions of people have had a cesarean to deliver their child. What could possibly go wrong?
The months of planning and preparing for the delivery day could not have prepared me...us...for what we would experience, for never did we expect our little bundle of joy would have a birth defect. I, being the brave soldier that I am, filmed the entire delivery. I'd never seen a cesarean performed. Tears streamed down my face as I watched this beautiful child make her complicated entrance into the world! Long story short, Abigail Liana was born having cerebral palsy, but other than that, she was healthy and absolutely gorgeous!
Abigail, now 16, has a severe case of cerebral palsy. While many a person having this condition are able to walk, talk, run, play, and do things all the other children are doing, Abigail has remained like a newborn child. Although she's never been able to walk, talk, roll over, or run and play, she is my greatest inspiration in life. This child has taught me just how petty the average one of us is. Most of us are never satisfied. We look forward to summer only to complain that it's too hot and how we long for the cool, fall temperatures. When fall arrives and then winter, we quickly become miserable because we abhor the freezing temperatures and wish it were summer again. The average one of us complains because the food we're served isn't to our liking, nit-picking the way it was cooked or the spices used. There's something about every single day we wish we could change. ...but then, thinking about my sweet little Abigail, I see a child that has no choice about the clothing she wears, what she will eat and drink, or when those things will be given to her. You see, Abigail cannot ask for something to eat when she's hungry. She cannot say 'My throat is parched. Please give me something to drink.' Patiently, she waits and never does she complain. All food given to her must be pureed. Not one bite of solid food has ever touched her lips. If we have a hamburger with all the trimmings, french fries, and baked beans for dinner, she will eat the same thing, except it will be pureed. Can you imagine having to eat this meal in an almost liquid form? It doesn't sound very tasty to me, but this is actually one of her favorite meals, especially when it includes onions and ketchup! I bet even you have clothes in your closet that you avoid wearing because of one reason or another. What about shoes? Maybe some of them hurt your feet or you just don't like them the way you thought you did when you purchased them. I believe there's a little of that in each and every one of us.
My hat goes off to the many parents out there that have a child with cerebral palsy. There are many hurdles that must be overcome, just as many tasks, even those that are simple and routine, are accomplished through much trial and error. A single day can bring about an array of emotions from laughing and singing to crying and sadness. No two days will ever be exactly the same. In fact, while many of us attempt to stick to a schedule, one or more of the many symptoms of cerebral palsy can shut down any activity planned for the day.
The months of planning and preparing for the delivery day could not have prepared me...us...for what we would experience, for never did we expect our little bundle of joy would have a birth defect. I, being the brave soldier that I am, filmed the entire delivery. I'd never seen a cesarean performed. Tears streamed down my face as I watched this beautiful child make her complicated entrance into the world! Long story short, Abigail Liana was born having cerebral palsy, but other than that, she was healthy and absolutely gorgeous!
Abigail, now 16, has a severe case of cerebral palsy. While many a person having this condition are able to walk, talk, run, play, and do things all the other children are doing, Abigail has remained like a newborn child. Although she's never been able to walk, talk, roll over, or run and play, she is my greatest inspiration in life. This child has taught me just how petty the average one of us is. Most of us are never satisfied. We look forward to summer only to complain that it's too hot and how we long for the cool, fall temperatures. When fall arrives and then winter, we quickly become miserable because we abhor the freezing temperatures and wish it were summer again. The average one of us complains because the food we're served isn't to our liking, nit-picking the way it was cooked or the spices used. There's something about every single day we wish we could change. ...but then, thinking about my sweet little Abigail, I see a child that has no choice about the clothing she wears, what she will eat and drink, or when those things will be given to her. You see, Abigail cannot ask for something to eat when she's hungry. She cannot say 'My throat is parched. Please give me something to drink.' Patiently, she waits and never does she complain. All food given to her must be pureed. Not one bite of solid food has ever touched her lips. If we have a hamburger with all the trimmings, french fries, and baked beans for dinner, she will eat the same thing, except it will be pureed. Can you imagine having to eat this meal in an almost liquid form? It doesn't sound very tasty to me, but this is actually one of her favorite meals, especially when it includes onions and ketchup! I bet even you have clothes in your closet that you avoid wearing because of one reason or another. What about shoes? Maybe some of them hurt your feet or you just don't like them the way you thought you did when you purchased them. I believe there's a little of that in each and every one of us.
My hat goes off to the many parents out there that have a child with cerebral palsy. There are many hurdles that must be overcome, just as many tasks, even those that are simple and routine, are accomplished through much trial and error. A single day can bring about an array of emotions from laughing and singing to crying and sadness. No two days will ever be exactly the same. In fact, while many of us attempt to stick to a schedule, one or more of the many symptoms of cerebral palsy can shut down any activity planned for the day.
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