The continuing story of Jodie, who is now 12 years old. She is a young girl with cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
Jodie is now 12 years old, but she continues to inspire and touch all who come into contact with her.
Jodie is tiny for her age; she looks more like a little girl than a preteenager, and she is unable to do most things for herself. She is in a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy that has left her a prisoner of her own body, and she can only talk but a few words. She is unable to walk, feed or dress herself, and she will probably never learn. She will probably always need someone to care for her and her needs.
Jodie is a very happy little girl, and she is quick to smile and laugh. She loves to be around people, and she is hardly, if ever, in a bad mood. She loves to be talked to or read to, and she loves to be held or rocked in another person's arms as they sing to her. People are often left thinking, "If SHE can be happy, even with all she has to go through each and every day, then why should I be unhappy?"
Jodie loves Jesus, and this is clearly evident by the sparkle in her uptilted Oriental eyes; she may not be able to express herself all that well verbally, but she clearly loves Jesus Christ, and you see this at church every week. At church, Jodie is sitting in the aisle of the church sanctuary, hanging onto every word the pastor speaks; and she is always enthralled at the message the pastor brings. If one asks her if Jesus loves her, Jodie responds with a huge smile and a resounding "YES!" and a nod of her head.
Jodie also loves her family very much, and nothing pleases her more than to be with them. They always include her in whatever they do, and they are clearly not embarrassed or ashamed of her physical or mental handicaps. They see her as a person first, and they treat her as such. They do not pity her or baby her; they treat her as normally as possible, and they treat her with dignity or respect. If she gets sick and/or has a seizure, they calmly take her to the restroom, away from onlookers, and take care of her needs in private, and then they bring her back and let her sleep in her wheelchair. There is no getting upset or uptight about any problem that may unexpectedly crop up.
Jodie doesn't get to do a lot of things, but she IS included in any activities the family engages in, and they are more than happy to help her.
They don't shun her or focus on what she CAN'T do; instead, they focus on the positives, such as Jodie's sunny personality, sparkly eyes, and her love for people. They also focus on her triumphs, such as her learning to speak this past year and helping her learn even more words. They love her unconditionally, and they treat her as one of the family, even though she was adopted nine years ago from Korea. Even though she may look different than the rest of the family, she is still a member of the family, and they see her as THEIR daughter.
Jodie is often recognized as being a "champion gigglebox" and a kid with a positive spirit about her, and she amazes people with her unbridled courage and strength in the face of incredible disability. She teaches people about compassion and hope, and they find her to be a very good little teacher. People may think they may have it bad, but then they see Jodie in her wheelchair, unable to do a lot for herself, and all of a sudden, things don't look so bad any longer, and people's attitudes are instantly changed for the better.
Jodie's story made me feel better about myself this morning Karen..just shows you that God and Love does not judge you by your looks...Gods love shines in your life and with every word you penned down here!
Love you...and thank you for being my friend!!
Love
Tinka
Reviewed by Kate Clifford
7/29/2003
I can always count on reading an uplifting story from you. Wonderful description of a very special child. Thanks for the sharing.
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