Seth's story Part two

 Read Part one  here 

Seth started out in a gait trainer  after  X MASS 2011

It’s been just over five months since we stood in that mental institution and looked at the shell of a little boy, looked into his eyes, trying to find the little boy he was. He’s been home almost four months now, and he is amazing. AMAZING! He is by far the most determined child I’ve ever known. He is motivated. He is learning fast, hitting milestones and catching up at record speed. A child confined to a wheelchair is now in a gait trainer, taking steps. He’s learning self care skills he never got to use at the orphanage, and is preparing to go to school for the first time ever. The biggest difference I see in Seth is the light in his eyes. He is ALIVE! There is no way you cannot laugh when Seth laughs, because you know the cost he’s paid to get to that laugh. You know the days of misery that led him here, to a place where he could find joy, love and a family. My other children agree Seth has brought our family closer, united us in the cause of a child. Our children have watched Seth literally have life breathed into him. They’ve watched him go from a disconnected, scared, institutionalized child to a little boy who loves to play with toys, get into things and explore. He’s inquisitive, curious, and cannot get enough of his newfound freedoms. Our children have embraced Seth with open arms, delighting in his absolute sweetness. Accepting him just as he is, and knowing that healing is a process that could take years to achieve.

HE'S  NOW  IN A WALKER  STARTED  LAST WEEK IN FEBUARY   

               Aside from Seth, the people I feel the most sorry for are Seth’s birth parents. I wonder if they think of him, if they worry about him, wonder what became of him. They had a child in a country that is about 50 years behind the US in healthcare and education. It is extremely hard to have a child with a disability in Ukraine. There is no special ed, no programs to support families. Almost any child with any disability at all will be abandoned in Eastern Europe. I don’t judge them, because I can’t begin to know their reasoning. I wish them peace. I hope one day, they will learn that Seth was saved from the system they gave him up to. To his parents, I would say, “You missed out on a beautiful little boy. He is a light to our family. He has perseverance and strength. His laughter fills a room. His smile is contagious. When you walked away from Seth, you gave up one awesome little boy.”

CP is only one small part of Seth. It doesn’t define him. Seth is defined by his character. He survived something I cannot imagine. For six and a half long years. He survived. And he still smiles. That defines him. His unwillingness to give in, to give up. Seth has blond hair, blue eyes, he’s got double jointed fingers, he loves playing in water, eating yogurt and bananas, and he has CP. He will live a full life, filled with laughter and happiness. He is way bigger than his disability. CP will not

limit him, because he’s survived something way bigger, way messier, way more debilitating than CP.






    PART  THREE  COMES   SOON, AS ALWAYS   BE SURE TO STOP BY  LAURA'S  BLOG