| Let
me be candid. It is NOT easy--but you will feel better
every day.
There's a sense of loss when
a child is born with a missing limb--not unlike the grieving
process when a person passes away. There's a tendency
to blame yourself, to look for answers, to seek
solutions and you WILL play the "woulda, coulda,
shoulda" game. It is pointless because you did
nothing to make this happen. However, you can
do a great deal to make things better!
The day my son Greg was born,
I was blessed with a mental image that gave me great comfort
and hope. It was during the 1987 Pan Am Games and
a young strapping pitcher by the name of Jim Abbott was
on the mound for his country.
I rocked my newborn
boy in the waiting room of the nursery, watching Jim
Abbott throw incredible fastballs at the hapless batters
from a Caribbean nation. Jim had more of a remnant
arm than my son but he had no useable fingers.
It was the image of Jim Abbott
that helped me to go through a mental exercise that proved
to be invaluable. If the young man on TV could be a
pro prospect, why not my son? What could he NOT
do? Play piano? Maybe type for a living?
The list grew shorter and shorter and my fears grew smaller
and smaller. I decided that day that my son would have
a full and rewarding life, no matter how hard I had to
fight for his benefit. My fears that day were completely
unfounded. Thanks to a caring lady by the name of Linda,
his family's support and a great adopted uncle by the name
of Ken Bean, Greg is doing well and I am very proud. |
|
When
my father first asked me to write about my thoughts on my
prosthetic arm, I didn't know what to write. At first, I thought
that explaining the general make of the arm etc. would be
good. I soon came to realize he wanted me to share my feelings.
As we all know that isn't exactly easy for a 16 year old male.
We are not the poetic type :-P. I figure I'll just give it
my best shot.
I was
first fitted with my arm at 1 1/2 years old. I don't remember
much from back then, so I'll skip to kindergarten. My only
memory from then was the feeling of utter delight when I first
tied my own shoes WITHOUT TWO HANDS!!! For the next
few years everything was fine. I lived a normal life, which
is what all parents want for their kids. To make a long story
short.. (partially because I'm lazy :-)) I live better because of
my arm. It helps me in more ways then anyone with two hands
could EVER understand. So please, take it from me, take this
vital step in your child's life. It may just be what
you are looking for. |
