I recently read an article written by a mother whose son suffered a stroke shortly after birth. The article did a good job of spreading the word about how pediatric strokes are more common then you might realize (roughly one in every 4,000 births) and it was certainly nice to see an article like this in a national publication, but I have to admit I was quite disappointed with it. Rather than taking a perfect opportunity to promote inclusion for kids with disabilities and reaffirm their worth, the author/mother continually reminded everyone in her article that her son had made a "full recovery" and how fortunate she was that her son did not have cerebral palsy, speech delay or a list of other "terrifying" challenges that many post-stroke children face.
I am very happy for her that her son was able to meet all of his milestones, and I thank God that he is doing so well! But, if I ever had the chance to meet her I think I would tell her that those things she is so scared of are what make my child (and yours) so amazing. I am constantly inspired by the things my son is able to do, not disappointed with the things he can't do. Yeah, he may never be on a track team or letter in football, but does that mean my parental dreams for him are shattered? Heavens no. It means that he and I both have been freed from the trap of creating expectations we can't possibly meet and we can be happy and satisfied with just being ourselves at whatever level that is. I am proud to have a special kid and I'm sure you are too.
