My son, Sharif Ford, is six years old. He is a very special little boy; when you see him, you'll know why.
Our son was born with a neuromuscular disorder affecting his muscles, even his breathing. Doctors said he would not live to see five.
Shows what they know: he's outlived their predictions by one year.
Who knows how long we'll have him? As long as he's alive, we plan on making every minute count, enjoy him while we still can.
Our son is in a motorized wheelchair. He cannot walk or talk. He breathes with the assistance of a ventilator; every few hours we have to suction his throat, to get rid of the secretions that build up; we clap his chest, to further help in keeping his lungs as clear as possible.
If we didn't do this every day, his lungs would clog up; he'd wind up in the hospital with a serious respiratory infection, one that he might not recover from. Scary to think about, yet we do this to help him live.
Sharif is a very happy little boy. He laughs, plays as best as he can, enjoys it when we take him out. We go just about everywhere: the park, the mall, to church, out to eat. Of course, we have to take all of his medical equipment with us, which takes a lot of time.
Sharif does end up in the emergency room on occasion. Sometimes he turns blue, gasps for air. When we see him acting air-hungry, we immediately take him to the ER; he's usually then admitted for observation/treatment. It's always disconcerting when this happens because we are scared we are going to lose him.
There have been times where he's completely stopped breathing. We call the paramedics, pray for God to spare him, let him live another day. So far our prayers have been answered. Sharif's still with us; it's only by the grace of God that he is.
If we didn't have insurance, I don't know how we would be able to care for our son. My husband's job has a very good insurance plan for the family; this helps save a bundle on medical bills. Caring for a child with a terminal illness, significant special needs is astronomically expensive; I don't know how people without insurance can do it.
Sharif is the youngest of our three children. Besides Sharif, we have a eight-year-old daughter, Ecstacie (Stacie) Le-Anne, and an 11-year-old son, Timon Ezekial. I'm happy to say that both Ecstacie and Timon are healthy. They dote on their little brother; they would do anything to make him happy.
We also have a dog, a Pit bill we have named "Max". He is our children's protector, best friend. We've had him for two years now; the kids just love him, and he loves them right back. He's the best dog we've ever had.
Because of Sharif's medical problems, I don't work. I stay home and help care for him. That takes up a goodly portion of my days, as do the regular household chores; it seems that I am never still for a minute.
When Sharif's in the hospital, I spend all my time there, praying, waiting, hoping that he'll make it through his latest medical crisis. My husband, meanwhile, acts as Mr. Mom, as he takes over the chores, caring for Ecstacie and Timon.
My mother in law, Pearl comes over to help Steve (and myself) out. She dotes on her grandbabies; they are her world. If it were not for Steve or Pearl (or even the home care nurses Shelley, Willow, or Rosita), I don't know what I'd do. Go crazy, I guess.
Well, Sharif's ventilator alarm is going off again, so I have to see what's going on. I will write in here again soon; take care and God bless!
~'Tine (Christine) Wilson
