Living with Cerebral Palsy

My Goal:

When my daughter was 4, we had planned to use her dad’s month of leave and go visit his family. However, I was expecting our son and VERY sick. There was absolutely no way I could fly from Japan to Hawaii. Even if the airline let me fly, I would have been too ill.

It was decided that my daughter and her father would go without me. For a month I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone, except myself and the baby. My good friend would check on me, and make sure I was doing okay.

After about two weeks, my daughter called in tears. She couldn’t remember what I looked like, and she wanted her Mommy. After we hung up, I too cried and cried. Even considering surgeries and months, ultimately years in the hospital, that has to be the longest month of my life.

I felt like the worst kind of Mommy to agree that they go without me. Yet, I knew that he would either go by himself or resent me more than he did already. But, I was miserable.

Not Ready Yet!

With that in mind, I never wanted to be apart or too far away from either one of my children again. Nevertheless, when they grow up, what can you do?

My daughter is home for this week. I am so glad to have her here. I missed hearing her laugh and even giving her brother a hard time.

But, while I am so happy to have her home, I am sad too.

You see, she is going back to her home to find a job for the summer. Her responsibilities this summer and before school even starts next fall mean that she needs to be close to the college. She is a Kappa officer and a staff member of the college marching band. Next year, her classes will be so intense, she needs to practice hours a day, in addition to working.

It may be that her brother and I will not see her lovely face again until Thanksgiving or Christmas. Even if she has a weekend off once in a while, it is a long drive to come one day and go back the next.

I am very proud of the woman she is becoming. I am so glad God allowed me to be her Mommy. But, I honestly don’t know how my mom and I stood not seeing each other for more than two years, when we lived in Japan.

She must be a lot stronger than I; because, I am not ready yet!

With all of the negative aspects to the economy, a lot of school districts are sacrificing the arts, in order to stay within budgets. Unfortunately, a lot more is lost than the ability to paint a picture, sing a song or play an instrument.

Mommy Moment

When my daughter was just a toddler, I already knew that she LOVED music. Before she was 3, she would sit through the entire movie The Sound of Music and want to see it again. Not only was the movie 3 hours long, but my daughter was not one to sit still for very long. Even today, she has a hard time just sitting around. She is a very busy, goal oriented person.

When she was in junior high, she joined the band. First, she learned one instrument, then she would pick up another. Today, she is majoring in music performance.

. . . . . . .

When my son was a toddler, he did not chew on crayons or scribble on paper. He started to draw, every chance he got. Except for the time he tried to draw on a white wall with a blue crayon, or tried to paint a bedroom wall with fingernail polish, he has always had paper and pencil handy.

He almost never goes anywhere without paper and pencil, just in case he gets bored, or has a chance to draw. Although he is only in junior high, he has won an award and has one of his landscapes hanging in City hall for a year.

In addition, last year his sister convinced him to take up the trumpet. Now, he practices with almost the same enthusiasm he devotes to his drawing. In less than two years, he has moved to first chair.

While I am definitely proud of my children, I have learned the value of the arts, in many more ways than beautiful songs or paintings.

It teaches the students many life-skills to use in every facet of life.

The arts have taught:

self discipline

working with others

work ethic

setting goals

perseverance

and more

As for me . . .

I always wished I could sing well and play the piano. I tried to paint a portrait or my brother, against the advice of my mother to start with something easier. To my credit, it did look like a slightly altered person; but, it looked nothing like my big brother.

I can’t afford to donate a lot of money to preforming arts in the community; I haven’t gone to a professional concert in years, unless you count a college band.

But, I have seen how good music is for able and disabled children. I have seen the joy in creating a piece of artwork. It can be a self-esteem builder.

Nevertheless, I can feel good that I support the arts in the best way possible. God allowed me to parent two artistic children. Even though I can’t be as artistic as I wished as a child, I can support and encourage the arts in my children and others.

Guest Post:

Stephen J. Wampler Foundation Inc. steve@wamplerfoundation.org

My foundation has been in existence now for ten years and we have served over 1500 kids with physical disabilities. My blog is for all those people that are just curious about people with disabilities and for kids that are curious about life moving forward and what expect. My life has been fun but but also tough and getting someones perspective that has already gone through a lot is what my blog is all about!

Thanks,

Stephen J. Wampler, CEO

Stephen J. Wampler Foundation, Inc.
501 (C) 3 Tax Exemption #: 80-0470847

email: steve@wamplerfoundation.org

www.wamplerfoundation.org
941 Orange Ave., Ste. 440
Coronado, CA 92118

I am His girl! (or boy, as your case may be) Don’t you think that is the most comforting thought in a world that has gone amuck?

I hope you took the time to watch the videos from the last couple of days. Not only did she survive her mother’s attempt to get rid of her, but she has such an amazing outlook on living with cerebral palsy.

I have always known that God doesn’t make mistakes. As an adult, I also learned that He allowed me to have CP for a reason. Therefore, I should use my life as a positive example, and help others, if possible.

But . . .

I must admit that I don’t think I have ever used blessed and cerebral palsy in the same sentence. I always thought of it more as a burden I had to endure. My attitude has been more like the saying: “if your life is full of lemons, make lemonade.

But, a blessing?

This woman could have chosen to feel sorry for herself, hate her birth mother, and figure out some way to make the doctor that tried to snuff out her life miserable.

Yet, she feels blessed. After all, she is God’s girl; and, she beat them. She survived and lived to tell about it.

Personally, I hope I can change my attitude. Rather than a burden I must bare as part of being His girl, I hope I can grow to KNOW that my CP is a blessing.

Do you feel blessed?