Sounds like an ordinary day, and it is. Unless you knew Afua, nothing in our day today is different because she has Cerebral Palsy. In fact, most of our days are ordinary and other than her wheelchair, leg braces and hearing aids, there is little about our days that are different than when my typically developing children were this age. We may do some things differently but I wouldn't say it's necessarily better or worse.
Yes, there are days that we sit in Dr offices, therapies and make hard decisions. But beyond the diagnosis, she is a child, our daughter. She makes sure we don't forget that she is a child first and foremost.
I wish that my words were eloquent enough to explain how Afua has changed our life, our world. And how there are other children waiting, today, to have the privilege of a family. I wish I could explain the conditions that these children live in and how different their life looks in a loving family. I wish I could explain that you don't have to be a superwoman or superman to adopt a child with special needs. It takes more than love, but most of us have more than love to give.
In honor or Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, here are just a few children who are waiting for their families to find them:
Want to know more about adopting and parenting a child with Cerebral Palsy? No Hands But Ours has a great resource with information on many special needs.
And of course, you can always e-mail me with questions.
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