I am getting sick and tired of having to defend some of my brothers and sisters, especially the ones who happen to be disabled...
Just the other day we were at the grocery store, and a woman saw my little sister Jodie, and she quickly turned away and then walked off in the other direction. She didn't say anything, but I could clearly see that she was obviously uncomfortable. See, Jodie, who is ten, is in a wheelchair, and she can't walk, talk, or dress or feed herself. She was born brain-damaged, and she was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy when she was about a year old back in Korea (where she is originally from). As a result of her disability she drools (she can't chew or swallow, and she is prone to choking; for this reason she is fed by a tube in her belly), and she only makes noises. She also can't move right, and her hands are often clenched tightly. It is clear once you see her just how disabled she is.
It's like this whenever we are out in public. People see my family, and they are at once amazed at all of the physical disabilities that are apparent; and they stare at us or make comments. They see things like wheelchairs, braces, crutches, walkers, oxygen equipment, hearing aids, thick glasses, or scarred up skin, and right away the comments start to flying....
Sometimes the comments aren't that nice.
Like the one time at the hospital, when my little sister, Ronee' (she is 9), was having her weekly physical therapy session. A lady sitting beside me saw Ronee' walking around, and the lady clucked and said, "Oh, dear..what a pity." She then said, "I'm glad she isn't my child; I wouldn't know what to do if my child were like that." (Needless to say, I got mad; I didn't say a word, but inside, I was fuming.) Ronee' has systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in her joints, and she gets around with leg braces and forearm crutches (or a wheelchair for longer trips, like when she is in school).
Or the time we took Johnny to the mall for his reward for getting good grades on a report card. At the video arcade, a boy saw my little brother sitting in his wheelchair, and he went on right up to where he was and called him a "crippled, shriveled-up freak." Of course, Johnny (he is nine, like Ronee') cried. It took nearly a half hour to calm him down. The boy had never seen my little brother, but he clearly didn't like him "because he was different."
Or still another time, when we went to Opry Mills for a day of shopping and fun. People were gawking at our family, and Roberto (another 9-year-old) was acting especially bad that day. He has Down's syndrome, and he often acts like a baby. He was grabbing things off of shelves, and he was spinning around like a top, swinging his crutches in the air. He ended up breaking several items, and people really got annoyed with him (and with mom and dad, who ended up paying for the damaged goods). He then took off running, and we couldn't find him for about a half hour. It was really a nerve-wracking time, especially since Roberto has heart problems, and we didn't know if we would find him unconscious on the ground or having severe chest pains. When we finally found him, we were all relieved, but mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. (Roberto is that kind of a kid--he can be full of the devil, but he really doesn't understand; so we really can't punish him. It is really frustrating at times because there are times where I'd LOVE to wring his fool little neck!!!!)
But despite the stares (or comments) we get from people, we treat the disabled kids like any other kids. They get into trouble if they act up, and we are trying our best to teach them right from wrong. We teach them that people aren't always so friendly or understanding, and we tell them that it is nothing they did and that it isn't their fault. We don't pussyfoot around; we tell it like it is, that life sometimes isn't fair; but we also teach them to stand up for themselves and that they are good kids and deserve to be treated fairly despite being disabled.
This is why mom and dad let the kids take lessons in music or in voice, and this is why they allow some of them to play sports if they so choose. This way, they can experience life, and they can interact with other kids their age--or kids of all ages. They want them to experience what life has to offer, and they want them to benefit, in which they often do.
Still, there are those people who want to stare or make rude comments about my brothers and sisters; and it is these people that I would LOVE to hit in the mouth!!!! They drive me absolutely INSANE!!!!
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MORAL: treat the physically (or mentally) handicapped person just as you would want to be treated: AS NORMALLY AS POSSIBLE.
10+! for this great write with a great message, Karen! I often wondered how some people can be so cruel? I'm not talking about the kids, they can be taught......but adults being cruel is unforgivable!!!!!
Busy Body provides a unique way of ministering to Christian youths. It introduces young readers to Christian values and principles and teaches them the significance of these standards and beliefs.
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