CP sports camp

  This is cool   I  wish   there was something  like that around here





Sunday is Special so stick  around

Seth's Story part three

           Here is part  one , 

here is  part   two 

 Now for the final chapter 

For every Seth that is saved, there are so many more kids, just like him, waiting in an orphanage. 100,000 in Ukraine alone. Somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6, depending on what part of the country they live in, they will be transferred to a “special needs internaut”… a mental institution. A facility housing ages 4-65. They will remain there the rest of their lives. Those with any sort of special need will never receive an education, no job training, no life skills training. They will sit and stare at the walls, slowly losing their minds, their bodies deteriorating and becoming weak, until they finally give up and die. That is hard to read. It seems sensational. In our day and age, surely not, right. But it’s true. It exists. I’ve been there. I’ve seen a child’s reality. Every time a child is adopted, that child is given hope, health care, family, love and an education. Children who were deemed “uneducable” In Ukraine are brought home, given an education, go on to high school, college, get married and have children. All because someone stepped out in faith and took a chance for a child.

Change is happening in Ukraine, but like all change, it comes slowly. There are a few schools opening up for children with special needs. But they are few and far between in comparison to the demand. Every time a child is adopted, a statement is made that these kids have value, are worth it, and deserve everything we go through to get them here. Slowly, the wheels of change turn.

When I think of Seth and where he’d be if we hadn’t walked through those doors, I think back to the line of wheelchairs, of his mind losing its grip. I think of him sitting there for 59 more years. Doing nothing. Sitting, moaning, rocking. When I think of Seth’s future, I see him starting school, learning to read, learning to walk, being on a high school swim team, maybe being a weight lifter. I see him studying hard, because he knows the value of what he’s been given. I see him being a cub scout, a boy scout, earning his Eagle, going on to college and being an engineer some day. With his captivating laugh and coy smile, I’m sure he will get married and have children. All of this can be his, despite his CP, with his CP, because of his CP. His cerebral palsy shaped him. Without it, he wouldn’t have spent his first six years where he did. He might not have the determination and drive he does. He certainly wouldn’t be in our family. We owe a lot to his CP. His CP put him where he is now… in our family.


 Thanks for sharing Laura.  I have enjoyed   reading about Seth's incredible journy for more information please vist   Laura's blog.  

Happy World Down Syndrome Day

 Happy  World Down Syndrome  day here is something  I wrote  about  LM.  My  friend  with  DS. I wrote this  when  i  was  a junior in high school 

Spending time with LM is like opening a Christmas present and being pleasantly surprised because it was not on your list, but you enjoy it all the same. L M is a year my junior. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. His name might be L but he prefers to be called Michael Jordan. Needless to say, he is a huge basketball fanatic. Surprisingly, LM and I did not meet on a basketball court. We met at Judo class where he is now an orange belt. L an easy-going kid, but that does not mean to say he is always happy. He gets grumpy and angry and he doesn't like to admit his defeat. L lives near my school, but unfortunately for all the students and staff will merely be a name without a face. L will live through the stories and the essay I am about to tell you. But chances are, you will never meet the Michael Jordan of San Mateo. The reason being is that L has to go to our rival school because he has Down Syndrome and attends a special program there. 

The summer before the eighth grade I was invited to the M's house to spend time with L. Although the intention of my visit was to have fun on a summer's day I learned a lot by going to his house. He gave me a quick tour of his house before leading me down to his room that he shared with his brother who is a year my senior. Stacked up along his wall were video boxes. The video boxes took me back to when I was young because there were Disney movies. L had a wide range of selection which ranged from Mulan to Aladin. It looked to me that he had all the collection. "Lets watch Mulan two ." L said bring out the DVD box. I was not so sure about that . I mean I did not want to tell L that my personal collection was gathering dust because I had grown out of them. L did not want to take no for an answer so after playing outside L played the video. As the movie was playing L pointed to Mulan and said " That is my sister. " He proceed to do this and it hit me that L was using his imagination to put himself and his friends inside the movie. At the time I did not think much of the move. I do not remember much of it except LM sat entranced by the story and sang along with the songs. 

LM was thirteen at the time of our play date but yet he still loved watching Disney movies. Some people might just write him off as less capable but mankind can learn a thing or two from him. Mankind's favorite saying is the grass is greener on the other side, whether it is adulthood or a different job or classroom. Humans can learn to enjoy their side of the grass and if you happened to get on the other side it would merely by an unexpected Christmas gift instead of a dream. Adults are always telling little kids that " they are such a big kid" we should not say this because it's impression is that being little is not okay. Instead of growing up being like the 50 meter dash man should slow down to enjoy the sights and sounds of childhood. It is surprising what someone with an intellectual disability can teach you about life.

LM has taught me that it's ok to do whatever it is that makes you happy. Even if it goes against the trends and thoughts of society. LM has taught me that it's ok to be different and that everybody matures differently. Some people might mature faster than others but in the end they do. LM has taught me that a childhood hobby can carry on into teenage years even if it is only for kids. The most important thing that LM has taught me is to not assume that a person is incapable of doing anything. 

Worked all day but

 I did not completely finish  my  project.  I got   exempt.   My   scapegoat is  Facebook   I spend way to much time on it,


 On a  Happy note I   tured  in the essay  portion 

four sided die

  So  today  i had a  lab  about  hereditary,  how   certain  characteristics and  we had  to use a four sided dice and  roll it.  I  did not get a video  of  it  but  it was  tough  for me to pick it up.  I   was able to do it though.  

Happy St Patricks Day

   I wonder if i  were  to  spend the  whole day doing a report while  wearing  green  tomorrow  if  that increases my chance  of  getting a  A.  We  will  see   Happy  St.Patricks day everyone 

Neighbors

    So    yesterday I saw a special needs  bus in our neighborhood.  Now me being  me and   being a disabled advocate and all I wanted to know who lived in the house  so yesterday  on my  way to  my night  class  I asked the neighbor  and  turned  out it was the other house.


 So today   it was  pouring rain   but I took a walk around the block to see   the house  I wondered if  the  kid   has  CP   or something.  I actually was  going to blog and ask  for advice but  then I got home  and   found  that  the door  was  locked  so   I took it as   a  go  ahead for me to check  the  house.


  There were cars outside  so I ding on the doorbell  and   a  cute  girl   answered it she got her  mom   who   had a accent  and spoke another  langue and it turned out that   she has a boy  with  DS    How cool  is that?    So  now     there are three  people   that  I  know of  that have disablties: D and a girl  with Autism  and  this little  boy  with DS  and  me  of course. Do you  have neighbors  with Disabilities?