This is my son Wyatt. Isn’t he handsome?
Wyatt is almost 6 years old and in most respects is a very typical little boy. He plays baseball and soccer and every week gets to ride a horse where he is learning how to use the reins. He rides a two wheel bike, though he still uses training wheels. Wyatt is in kindergarten and is doing above level in all areas. He can read, write, spell, do math, and his last report card said he has mastered all skills taught. He has lots of friends in school and goes to birthday parties all the time. He loves video games, Disney world, playing with cars. He has a bunk bed and sleeps on the top bunk. Wyatt also has cerebral palsy.
I am writing this post because I have read a lot of questions on an adoption forum about kids with CP. It is definitely a scary diagnosis because CP means a lot of different things and encompasses a wide range of symptoms. I have in fact rewritten this several times because I wanted to avoid an emotional post and so that someone could see how CP has affected our lives.
What does CP mean for Wyatt? Wyatt would probably be considered to have a moderate form of CP because he does not walk independently. However, in my eyes it is a mild affliction and fairly easily managed. Wyatt has an ataxic form of CP as well as a diplegia element. He is not very spastic and actually has low muscle tone. The ataxia component means he lacks coordination of muscle movements or more simply he is clumsy. Because of this his core is weak and unstable. He also has tremors in his hands which make fine motor skills more difficult. He gets tired and will trip over his feet and when he is sick or tired his hands tremble a lot worse. He didn’t start talking until he was 2 ½ and his speech is a little lazy at times, but he never, and I mean never, keeps quiet now. Wyatt does not have any cognitive issues and in fact is very smart. If you were to ask Wyatt about his disability he would probably tell you his legs don’t work or that they are broken. He knows he cannot do everything the other kids can do and yes it can be very hard on all of us. At the ripe old age of nearly 6, I would say that he is fairly independent at home and completely independent at school. He just needs a walker and patience.
As far as accommodations, Wyatt uses a walker for walking. Ummm, that is about it. Wyatt receives PT and OT in school and equine therapy weekly. I am sure as he gets older he will require a little more accommodations in school, maybe a second set of books to keep at home or the use of a word processor rather than writing so much. Thinking about it right now I honestly can’t say what else he needs. We do make sure he is wearing pants he can pull up and down and he has Velcro shoes. His bunk bed has stairs instead of a ladder. I won’t lie and say that life is easy, but is has gotten better as he has grown or maybe we are just more experienced.
My first paragraph is the truth; Wyatt does all of those things. But it isn’t perfect and it hurts to watch him suffer, it hurts to watch him sitting on the sidelines when he can’t keep up, it hurt when he asked why his legs don’t work and says they are broken, it hurts to watch him try to keep his hands steady. I could go on, but there are so many more positives to focus on. And despite his struggles he is this incredible, sweet, smart, stubborn and pretty normal little boy. It is funny to see how he sits on the back of his walker. He has even learned to use his walker as a makeshift skateboard. I could not imagine my life without him and I can honestly say that I would take another child like him in a second. It is scary, the unknown is scary, and knowing that your child will struggle is scary. But he gives us so much more joy than we could ever have imagined. We still get to see all of his milestones, just a little later. He has a wonderful personality and a smile that can dazzle anyone. Teachers love him, parents love him AND the GIRLS LOVE him. He has taught me so much, he has taught me to be understanding and accepting, he has taught me that life isn’t supposed to be perfect and that it really is what you make of it that means anything. He has taught me that it is ok to go slower sometimes and enjoy the scenery. He has humbled me and is truly my hero.
