CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
My
passion is children. All children. Over the course of my career, both
as a Registered Nurse and an Energy Medicine Practitioner, I have
worked with children who have had multiple physical disabilities.
Because of these children I have experienced so many
miracles I can't count them all.
"There are two ways to live your live.
One is through nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a
miracle.
I choose to live mine seeing miracles everyday."
And so do I.
We all have disabilities of one sort or another. Some disabilities are more visible than others. A friend of mine comes to mind. Becky was born without a left arm. As a
very small child, she was fitted with a prosthesis and functioned very
well. Years later, after working for a company for a year, it was
discovered that she had this "disability." She was actually fired for
lieing on her employment application! Now, as Becky saw it, she didn't
have a disability because she had never known a "normal" left arm. Her
life did not revolve around it nor did she feel she was disabled in any
manner. The company whom she worked for did! An attitude change could
happen here!
And so it is with our children. We are given the diagnosis and the
expected limitations of that child. From that point of view, we don't
question it. We certainly need to be aware of these conditions and the
medical factors involved but we also need to start looking outside the
box.
All kids are important, have diverse abilities and need our love, care
and nurturing. I have worked with children with disabilities for a very
long time and they never cease to amaze me when given the chance. They
have taught me the true meaning of the human spirit
Let me give you an example of what I mean. The parent of
this child has given me permission to tell her story.
Let
me tell you about this precious girl. When I walk into the room her
beautiful brown eyes light up and her smile reaches from corner to
corner. She jumps around in her wheelchair and I think she's going to
tip it over... but she never does. Her response to me is a gift from
God. We love each other. She doesn't have to speak the words I just
know. You see, other than a few words earlier in life, Ashley doesn't communicate verbally yet she has a way of letting you understand exactly what she's saying.Ashley weighed three pounds when she was born prematurely. She also had the cord wrapped around her neck and so lacked oxygen that left her with Cerebral Palsy and a few challenges.
She lives with her Mom, Charlene and her sister, Danielle. Why am I not
surprised that they have the same positive attitude that Ashley has. A
couple of things Mom said impressed me and I realized that Ashley had
an advantage growing up. Her Mom lives outside the box.
"Everything happens for a reason. We've never treated her like she has
a disability. She's always sat in a wheelchair so she doesn't know what
it's like to walk. That's her reality."
Ashley has her own personality. She knows what she wants and persists until she gets it! She loves clothes and likes to dress in funky attire which she picks out herself. She certainly has her own style. She loves getting her hair done and having her nails painted.
Ashley has taught us how to include all children and let them express themselves in whatever manner they need to. Next time you are in the presence of a child who doesn't talk verbally give yourself the opportunity of learning to speak in a different manner. Your life will change forever.
