A boy writes about his younger brother, who has cerebral palsy and brain damage.
Todd Michael Christopher is not like most nearly 12-year-old boys.
He is severely handicapped, and he is also severely retarded and brain damaged. He has been this way ever since his birth nearly twelve years ago. He will never walk or talk, and he will always need someone to help him with his daily needs.
Todd is in a wheelchair, and he is only the size of a six-to-seven-year-old, and he weighs less than 40 pounds. He is nonverbal, and one has to play guessing games to figure out just what exactly he needs. He is unable to feed himself, and he can't even dress himself or even go to the bathroom. He wears diapers, just like a little baby, and he also has to be hand-fed by spoon, just like a baby. If all this were not bad enough, he also has respiratory problems, and he requires supplimental oxygen; and he gets sick so easily. He is always going in and out of the hospital for his breathing, it seems.
In addition to his physical problems, Todd is also mentally handicapped, with an I.Q. of below 40, and unfortunately, he will never learn much. He goes to a special school for severely handicapped kids, and there he has many friends, but I sometimes wonder if he even knows what is going on around him because sometimes he sits there and stares off at nothing. It's like he's zoned out in space somewhere, and it is really freaky.
Todd is a good kid, no problem to me or to the other kids in our family, but I sometimes wish he were more like me. I wish he could play sports with me or just pal around, but he can't. He is disabled, and that is something I will have to learn to accept (although it ISN'T easy, especially when he gets sick again and needs an ambulance). But he IS my brother, and I DO love him!
This was an excellent piece as normal..
God Bless
~Michelle~
P.S I was thinking of submitting the book to Bethany House if that's okay with you, and would you be interest in doing a series with me if they were to accept the proposal?
All they can dpo is say no (wink)
God Bless
Your Friend In Cali
P.p.s I'll try and send you some of the sunshine LOL~
