March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness month. Although I was exposed to cerebral palsy at a very young age, having two close childhood friends with the diagnosis, I never imagined that I would grow up and have a child with the same condition. Yet, in many ways I was truly blessed that God put those special kids in my life all those years ago. It gave me in many ways a greater understanding of compassion, love and kindness for those who had differences. I found such beautiful friendships in the both of them. They taught valuable lessons and a deepened my perspective on acceptance and awareness of those with disabilities, likely the same lessons that Noah himself will teach others.
Cerebral Palsy Awareness is very important. I still remember the checker at Toys R Us, who thought that there was a vaccination for CP, the customer at Whole Foods who called Noah a cripple, the checker at Target who turned their light off purposefully so I'd be forced to find a different line just because I had a child with a disability. I remember it all through the years. The people who cause unnecessary wounds in the heart of a mother raising a child with special needs.
Education and exposure is key. Talking about CP and and educating people about what the condition really includes helps promote acceptance and tolerance of those with a disability. I welcome dialog and open conversations about Noah and his condition. I'm never hesitant to talk about him, how CP affects him, how it impacts us as a family, and what it means for his future. There are a lot of inspirational elements to witnessing the spirit of a child with special needs and I enjoy sharing that part of Noah with others.
So when you wear green this month, think of little Noah and his diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. May he inspire you to talk about this boy you know, one who defied the odds at birth, and works really hard each day. He, and others like him can change the world one step at a time.
Love,
Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.