Like any parent, I have dreams for my children, in particular, Brooklynn, who is seven ... and who happens to have cerebral palsy.

At the age of seven, Brooklynn cannot walk or talk, but she can hear and see perfectly fine.  Her problem is more physical more than anything else.  Because of her disabilities, she cannot dress or feed herself, or even go to the restroom on her own (she wears diapers), but she has a brilliant mind; she knows when people are being condescending or manipulative towards her. 

We discovered her intelligence by accident.  She was looking at a book with pictures of animals, and on her word board, she typed, "Mama, is that a cheetah?" when she happened to glance at a picture of a spotted big cat.  It was definitely a cheetah.  I was so proud of her I cried and hugged her until she thought that I was going to squeeze the very life out of her.

What a magical moment!!

Whereupon, I called her doctors (and those naysayers who said that she was damaged) and told her what had happened; when they gave yer an IQ test, they were stunned to see that she tested above average for her age, and for kids with her problems!  

Ever since, people have learned to see Brooklyn's capabilities and are starting to treat her as their equal.  While she may still get stares or comments or fingers pointed at her, Brooklyn knows how to defend herself and to put people in their place.  She definitely is NOT stupid.

Besides acceptance and respect, I also wish that Brooklyn achieve her dreams.  She wants to be a dancer and a writer.  She absolutely adores books and reads well into middle or high school level ... and understands a great portion of what she has just read!  She also wants to be an artist; she loves to paint and draw in her special fashion.

I want Brooklyn to have lots of friends and for people to accept her for who she is on the inside, not for what she may be on the outside.  I want her to be included in the games that the neigbhorhood kids play and I want her to know that her family will fight for every opportunity that may come her way.

It may not seem like much to a lot of people, but to Brooklynn (and to us) it is very important.  Just because Brooklynn may not talk or walk like anybody else, that doesn't mean her mind is disabled.  She is proving that each and every day; people are amazed at what she can do and the fact that she scores good grades in school.  She is definitely a wunderkind, and I am glad that I have been there to support her every step of the way.  And I will continue TO do so in the years to come!