A story about a little boy who has significant disabilities involving his upper limbs (or the LACK thereof) and the love his family has for him.
Our son is named Waylon Thibodeaux Jennings, and he is nine years old. He is a very beautiful little boy with a shock of thick, wavy, dark-brown hair, huge, bright-green eyes, and a round, dimpled face that lights up whenever he smiles (which is often). Yet most people do not see his beautiful features at first when they see him; instead the stare at him because he was born without arms and hands.
He has learned to compensate for his lack of hands or arms; instead, he does everything with his feet or by holding things in between his teeth or chin if he has to carry anything that isn't too heavy for him to manage. He has flourished beautifully since he started school, and he has such an insatiable attitude for life and enjoys every single thing that life has to offer. Waylon is a child with a "can-do" spirit and he has such a positive, outgoing attitude people can't help BUT to be enamored with him once they get to know him. But before that happens, stares are commonplace because of his lack of arms and hands, and it is always a shock when people first see him writing with his toes or using the computer with his feet. They also get a bit uneasy when they see Waylon feeding himself, his fork perched between two toes on his foot, using his foot like a hand. He is very talented with his toes, and he is quite agile with them. What people do with fingers he can do very well with his toes: he can wash himself, dress himself, bath himself, do his hair and teeth, use a pen or pencil or a computer keyboard, and so much more. He also can skateboard and ride his bike; he doesn't let the lack of arms or hands stop him from doing most things in life.
Waylon is a very good little kid; and once people learn to get past his obvious physical disabilities, they find out that he is a typical little third-grader who loves to watch "SpongeBob SquarePants" or "Rugrats" on tv, play with his cars, play video games, skateboard, surf the Internet, write letters to his grandma and grandpa in Texas (we live in Louisiana, in Baton Rouge), ride his bike, play with his friends, and just annoy the fire out of his little brother, Terrence Roget (Terry is six, and Waylon is nine). He is very smart, and we are so proud of how he is doing in school and in life in general. We have been blessed with such a special child, and it is amazing at all he has accomplished, even without having arms or hands. If there is going to be a way to do something, chances are, Waylon will find a way to overcome whatever difficulties or challenges he may face!
~To be continued.~
Want to review or comment on this short story?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviewed by Simon Thurlow
2/29/2004
Aaah Karen. Your empathy and passion know no bounds. Great start to what promises to be a very enlightening tale
He Keeps Me is a devotional journey of revelation and insight birthed out of prayer.Searching the Word of God revealed the many ways that He has kept me and continues to keep me. Each day is an opportunity to recognize that God is mindful of you, eve
This exceptional book, Celebrating the Gift of Being Alive, has the perfect thoughts and words for birthdays, graduations, engagements, marriages, and any life celebration or family tradition.
Potential meets purpose for great accomplishments in the life of a young student.
A young student is interested in learning coding programs. He applies and is rejected because of his age. He does not give up and tries again and is accepted. Eventu
