My 4-year-old brother, Jo-El Matthew, is not like most little boys for several reasons. First, and formost, he is decidedly severely facially disfigured and doesn't actually look like most kids. His eyes, which are big and blue, are malformed, and his nose doesn't really look like a normal nose. His lips are also puffy in appearance, and numerous scars crisscross his young face. He also wears a bicycle helmet atop his little head because he had surgery on his skull; this helmet is meant to protect the wound he now carries on the top of his head, which is also covered by thick gauze and bandages. He may look different, but he is a very happy little boy, and he loves to play. He also loves to sing.
He also has no hands or arms, as they had been amputated when he was in the hospital. He was just 8 months old when he had been severely burned over 60% of his body, and he has had to face many painful skin graft and reconstructive surgeries since recovering from his burns. He still faces many more in the way of operations in regarding his burns. He certainly doesn't look like what you or I would call "normal". And it is because of this that he often gets stared at or made fun of.
People gasp when they see his scarred face or his prosthetic hands; and they call him "a poor little thing" or even something as awful as "Monster" or ask him if he is wearing a mask. Thank God Jo-El is still young enough to ignore the teasing remarks, but it certainly hurts me, not to mention, mommy and daddy. They know it is cruel and wrong to make fun of people, but there are people in this world who like to inflict pain on others or hurt them, no matter what the cost. This is a mean world we live in nowadays, and people like my family are going to have to get used to people not understanding what it is like to live with a severe disability like Jo-El's.
But Jo-El is a very happy little kid in light of all he has been through medically and emotionally. He's had to endure more pain than anyone has a right to, and he's had to get used to being poked or prodded by doctors or other strange people; and he's also had to endure many painful surgeries that leave him feeling terrible and nauseated when he comes out of the anesthesia. He's also had to endure having tubes put into him, and having to have bandages and dressings changed and having to have painful debridement sessions, where dead skin is pulled via tweezers (and this is about one of the most painful procedures anyone can ever experience). He has also had to endure being away from his mommy and daddy and his brothers and sisters; and being away from home; and that has probably been the worst for little Jo-El. He doesn't understand that all of this medical treatment is meant to help him recover from his severe burns; he only knows of the pain and the people hurting him. Whenever he's had to go to the hospital it only brings on a fresh torrent of screams or tears because he somehow remembers the pain he's had to experience.
It doesn't help having people teasing him because he looks different. They call him names like "Mask-Boy," "Monster", "Ugly", or "Alien". Such cruel remarks are unnecessary, and they are NOT to be directed at someone WHO CAN'T HELP how he looks due to an unfortunate accident!! It WASN'T HIS FAULT THAT HE WAS BURNED SO BADLY!!
WHY can't people seem to UNDERSTAND THAT and treat him like what he is: a NORMAL LITTLE KID?????
Enchanta (50,000 words) is an imaginative young adult fantasy novel for children eight to thirteen that adults could also enjoy. The story has lots of magic, adventure and surprises.
