Minh has always been something of an opportunist. There is absolutely nothing that she will not try to do for herself.
We adopted Minh when she was a toddler. She is now sixteen years old, a hard worker, and, not to mention, extremely hard-headed (but in a good way!).
Minh was born with brain damage. This resulted in a life-long sentence of spastic cerebral palsy that is more pronounced in her lower limbs. Because of this, Minh walks with crutches and wears braces on her legs. Sometimes, though, she will use a wheelchair, if she goes anywhere that requires a lot of walking.
My daughter knows she is different from her peers, but again, she will try to do anything her friends do. There is no 'can't do' in her attitude. Minh's favorite saying: "I'll find another way to do it if I can't do it the first time around." Another: "No help. I do it myself!"
She will not accept help unless she asks for it first. And that is very rare. She is very independant. Always has been.
Some of her favorite activities include gabbing/texting with her friends on the phone, playing on her computer, reading (Minh reads just about anything she can get her little hands on!), drawing, painting, playing her guitar, singing, going to church every Sunday and Wednesday (plus Thursday evenings for choir practice), going to concerts, and collecting seashells, butterflies, autographs, and "Precious Moments" memorabelia.
Minh is a typical teenager.
My little girl will be singing a solo this coming Sunday for our church's annual Christmas Cantata. She has been working very hard on practicing her music, and she sounds great! I know for sure that Minh will do a great job. I am sure that the Christmas Cantata in itself will be wonderful. Jim and I are really looking forward to it!
Anybody who knows Minh loves her. Those who see (or meet) her for the first time can't help but be enthralled by her exhuberant personality or her courageous spirit. We are extremely proud of Minh and we feel truly blessed that she is our daughter, now and forever!
