When I came home from the hospital at ten days old, it was clear that I would have some issues moving forward. Between trauma and heavy medications, we knew I would have some problems with my development. My mom and dad were very optimistic and hopeful that I would have a very bright future. Unfortunately, we came home and I never started moving or babbling, as most little ones do. My family made an effort to foster my development, by moving my arms and legs and doing different exercises with me.
At six months old, my doctors had suggested that I might have cerebral palsy. But, I didn’t get diagnosed until a little later. My family was accepting of the fact that my life would look a little different. They would do anything they possibly could to have me live the happiest, healthiest, and freest life I could ever have. It was a bit hard for them at times. They only knew the textbook definition of cerebral palsy– no walking, no talking, and your life is pointless and miserable. We were going to bend the definition though. I think there must have been a lot of fear of the unknown, and it is harder to watch your child go through something than to actually go through it yourself. My parents were good to me, even though I didn’t look like everyone else I was going to be treated like they would treat anyone else. We were lucky enough to have an early intervention preschool for people with disabilities within 15 minutes of my house. So about halfway between my supposed and official diagnoses, my mom knew that she needed help. So she called them. I immediately started early interventions. Physical therapies, speech therapies, and occupational therapies helped kick start my life. Even they were skeptical of my mom and dad’s high expectations. The big question is- “How would you take a child who cannot walk, cannot talk, and get them walking and functional in school?”
I worked hard, but more apparent my parents were not scared of me getting hurt. The world is going to hurt you rather you like it or not. My parents allowed the therapies to have free reign over me, and we followed directions. (wow I should take note of this in schooling. 😅) And just by chance, and maybe with a little luck, I was slowly becoming stronger and stronger. My legs could support a little more weight every day. I started standing. Training each muscle how to lift, inch forward, and drop. Walking is a difficult thing to learn how to do when a person cannot do it on their own. I also had to learn how to safely fall, because I fell and still fall constantly. I started using a walker, then I moved to crutches, and a year later. I started manually learning how to open and close my hands, grasping, and picking up objects. I started training my mouth muscles to eat different foods and make different sounds. I could not really talk until I was five so I used sign language and was in speech therapy until high school. My grandparents and aunt work with me to use sign language until I was ready to talk. I am naturally a very loud person, so I loved it.
I started walking and talking when I was about four in a half, five years old, then I took off. I did it! Maybe I don’t quite look like you. But the fact that we had to come together and figure out how to walk and talk and “people”, with nothing to work off of, is pretty awesome. I had no boundaries (except to be well behaved) but if I wanted to do something I did it!
I did have two HUGE benefits throughout this process. 1) I was tiny for a very long time! When I started kindergarten I was the size of a toddler, so we didn’t have to buy a wheelchair, they could throw me in a stroller until I was 8. 2) My little sister was two years younger then me, so we were learning how to do the same things at the same time. These two advantages may be why I am walking and talking today!
Let me make this clear my mom and dad did not want to “fix me.” But, they did expect great things out of me and want me to give it my best shot. I know that if I wasn’t able to learn how to walk and talk that they would still love me to the moon and back. They were not expecting perfection, they were expecting an attempt. I met everyone halfway and I am very grateful that my parents worked as hard as they did for me.
My story of recovery is pretty much the best-case scenario. I am pretty lucky! But looking back I now know why I needed to learn this quickly. And that my friends, is a story for another date.
A good friend of mine always says “Bloom where you are planted” and I did exactly that!
Just a Girl With Crutches 