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Kid With Special Needs #3 (By Jodie, aged 12 1/2, With Help From Her Mama) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
A young girl with C.P. (cerebral palsy) writes about herself, along with special assistance by her mother.
I am a good girl. Mommy tells me that all of the time.
My name is Jodie, and I will be 13 years old in July (next month), but I will never get to do a lot of things my friends do; and that is because I was born with severe special needs. I was born brain damaged, and it left me unable to move well (I am in a special wheelchair; I can't sit up without support), and I am unable to walk or do a lot of things for myself. I CAN talk SOME, but it is still hard. But I am still very happy, and I am glad I have my family!
I was born in Korea, and when I was three years old, I was flown to America, where I was then adopted by the lady I call Mommy (or Mama), and also her husband, whom I call Daddy. I have many brothers and sisters, and they all love me and take very good care of me.
Because I was born with C.P. (that's cerebral palsy to you), I can't move well, and my muscles are very tight ("spastic") a lot of the time. I also can't chew or swallow my food, and for this reason, I have a G-tube in my belly, where Mama, Daddy, or one of my older brothers or sisters can feed me. I am prone to choking, so this is why I have a tube in my belly. I have had this thing for several years now, and it seems funny, but ever since I got the tube put into my belly, I haven't had as many problems with choking or getting pneumonia, so the last several years have been a lot better (and easier) for me. I also can't go to the potty on my own: I wear diapers, and I am more like a baby in that way.
When I was born, I had damage to my brain, and unfortunately, there was a lot; so this is why I am the way I am. I also am mentally retarded, which means that if I DO learn anything, it takes me a very long time, such as my learning how to talk last year after many years of silence. Even though I CAN'T talk much, I still can make my wants or needs known, and I am very good at letting people know just how I am feeling. I make happy noises or sad noises, and I also can make faces. It may seem weird to a lot of people by my relying more on my face or making noises than actual talking, but it's better than not being able to do it at ALL, you know??
I also don't grow very fast. I am nearly a teenager now, but I look no older than five or six. I also weigh less than 30 pounds, and I have always been very little in size. I guess it's partly due to my disability being so bad, but at times I wish people treated me like a kid of twelve instead of six or so, and I wish they wouldn't talk about me, especially if I am in the same place! I may not talk much, but I CAN hear, and I KNOW what people are saying to me or about me! It really makes me mad when they don't treat me right! This is probably the biggest problem I have in regards to my cerebral palsy.
I go to school, just like other kids my age. But I go to the Special Needs class. I am just learning how to read my letters, and I am still getting speech therapy. I also have physical and occupational therapies at school, so my days are usually very busy. But it IS fun when we get to get out of school for the day or go someplace like the park when it's a nice day, or go on a field trip to places like the art museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame, or to places like the library, the hospital, or to the shopping mall. We have also gone bowling, and whenever we get out of school and go on our "trips" we always end up having the bestest time!
I also like being with my family. My family is really keen on me, and they think I am the greatest thing to come to them since sliced bread. They spoil me rotten (I LOVE that!), and they always defend me whenever people are teasing me, staring at me, or saying "things" about my disability again, and if I could talk better than I do or move better than I do, I would tell them a HUGE thank you, and I would probably give them all the biggest bear hug in the world!
I only hope that other people learn to accept me and would want to become my friend! I have friends, but not many, and it sure gets lonely at times whenever people see me, but they don't take the time to come on over and say hi! I also hate having to have other people help me with my eating or my potty, and having to depend on them for just about everything! I may be severely physically disabled, and I may be mentally disabled, too, but I am NOT a person to be picked on or pitied, and I am just like you in more ways than you may realize!
P.S.: The picture that goes along with this story is NOT of me. It's just a drawing of a mother holding her baby while she feeds it through the G-tube. This is how I eat, and so Mommy thought it would go perfectly with this story. See how the tube is in the stomach? Well, that is how it is for me. It doesn't hurt (unless the area around the tube gets infected or irritated somehow, but Mommy knows how to prevent that from happening), and besides, I still get the nutrients I need!
Re-Release! No longer back-listed. Return to the Olde Ways. The hustle and bustle of modern day life has brought many of us to a quick fix attitude.This book is for those of you who are fed up; have looked at your life and your loved ones and realize
Re-Release! No longer back-listed. Return to the Olde Ways. The hustle and bustle of modern day life has brought many of us to a quick fix attitude.This book is for those of you who are fed up; have looked at your life and your loved ones and realize
I am a good girl. Mommy tells me that all of the time.
