After the initial numbness of the news of Taylor’s diagnosis wore off, we began to actively seek out physical therapists who could help Taylor. Our search led us to an awesome pediatric therapy clinic in Northern California.
Beginning with Taylor’s very first physical therapy session, she has worked hard day after day, both at home and at the therapy clinic. In just a few short weeks after beginning therapy, Taylor began to use her leg muscles in a way that she never had before, and for the first time since the initial diagnosis of cerebral palsy, as her mom, I felt a sense of optimism and renewed hope.
Taylor at Therapy Clinic with Her Physical Therapist, Doing Some Warm-up Leg Stretches
About 3 months into physical therapy, Taylor was fitted with a pair of pediatric leg braces, and almost immediately started achieving new things. Wahoo! Taylor started standing! Taylor’s physical therapist pushed her to her physical limits, stretching and strengthening Taylor’s leg muscles every week.
Taylor Getting Fitted for Her First Pair of Braces
A few more months of rigorous physical therapy along with continued practice wearing the braces and Taylor FINALLY started walking! YAY!
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Taylor at Therapy Clinic, Working on Her Form When Walking
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Practice Makes Perfect! Taylor Continuing to Perfect Her Form When Walking
As we have celebrated these first milestones for Taylor this year, we are ever-mindful of the significant role that Taylor’s therapist has played in Taylor’s life in making these accomplishments happen.
Words simply can’t express the happiness, love and pride we have felt the latter part of this year as our Taylor has continued walking. It sounds like such a simple thing to do, but for Taylor it’s not and it hasn’t been.
Today, Taylor enjoys a newfound confidence in her ability to walk. She now needs very little assistance from us in order to walk and only occasionally needs assistance by holding our hands. Taylor will continue to see her physical therapist for several years to come and the outlook for Taylor’s future remains bright and promising. The best part — Taylor will eventually not need to wear the leg braces at all and will one day even be able to run with her peers on the playground.
Playing with A Friend at the Park
- Photo: Taylor (L), Samantha (R) -
What I have learned from this experience having a child with special needs is that you come to appreciate the lives of children impacted by a disability and the families struggling to manage their child’s special need. When it is your child’s life who is affected by a disability, it becomes your life too.
I have also learned that children with special needs are real fighters! Our Taylor has been fighting like crazy ever since the moment she was conceived and came into the world. Taylor’s struggle to overcome her disability and to walk has taught me the extraordinary resiliency that even the smallest of children possess and I’ve come to realize that life is truly precious, something worth fighting for and that as a parent, you’ve got to do all that you can to make it count.
On the flip side, some of the experiences I’ve had first-hand as a mom having a child with special needs has taught me that at times it can be an isolating experience. Our family has had to stretch ourselves in many ways in order for us to deal with our child’s disability. My husband and I, who are both fairly private people, have had to learn to be more open and learn to talk more freely about our feelings as well as our daily struggles raising a child with special needs. Through this experience, I have also met a great number of other parents and families who are facing their own set of challenges in raising a child with special needs and have enjoyed the almost instant bond and understanding that comes with identifying with one another through our shared set of difficult experiences. These are the parents and friends who I have found truly understand the disappointments, frustrations and roller-coaster ride of emotions that come with raising a child with special needs. These are the folks who have helped make this un-chartered journey of raising a child with special needs more bearable because I’ve come to learn that while these other families are trying to manage and cope with their own challenges, they’ve also helped me to see that the difficult and overwhelming roles and responsibilities we must play in our child’s life also yield some HUGE benefits for us as parents and the impact that we have upon our child is likewise HUGELY rewarding!
