Awakenings

Last night I had a very strange dream. Somehow...I think is was some type of medication...all the children I know with cerebral palsy stood up and started dancing, speaking, and moving around as a typical child would. Everyone was so happy and celebrating. Then one by one the symptoms of cp started coming back. Children started falling down, they began losing use of their arms and legs...many stopped signing or speaking. You could see the sadness on the faces as they started to realize that things would go back to the way they were before. It was devastating to everyone.

The dream reminded me of the movie Awakenings with Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro. In this movie patients who have been comatose for many years are suddenly "awakened" by a drug, only to fall back into a comatose state after a short period of time. They know that it is happening and that is the saddest part.

I was thinking about what this dream means. I think I have REALLY finally realized...had my own awakening...that there is no miracle cure for cerebral palsy. No matter how many therapies and procedures we do, Grace will always have cerebral palsy. I DO believe that she will continue to improve and maybe eventually walk, but she will always have special needs and will appear so to everyone. But I also REALLY know that she will always be special in many other ways...not just because of her disability.

Wordless Wednesday

Yoga for Special Needs

After Grace's PERCS procedure, I received an email from a mom of another child in school with Grace at ACCDAT. There was a yoga class for special needs beginning in June. It sounded great. I meet the instructor, asked a few questions and decided this was the thing for Grace. She now goes 3 days a week and Whitney is her helper (we love her and she helps make my life easier...THANK YOU Whitney!!)  She loves it and can now even do some of the chanting.  

The whole class...Grace, Hailey and Colin make a great group.

Grace has become so much stronger and more flexible.  PERCS has much to do with her improvements but the yoga has also helped a lot.  I can't remember what this pose is called but Brenda says she does it great.

This is "fierce posture".  Doesn't she look fierce ;)

Grace and Hailey like to hold hands while they do breathing exercises. 

I went last Friday to check it all out and took Sophie.  Here she is trying to do tree pose.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Grace is by far the most affectionate of my three.  She loves hugs, kisses and cuddles.  She also loves her brother Mack more than anyone else.  She thinks he is the greatest thing ever!!  She is always trying to rub his back or hold his hand and will have nothing to do with it (as long as we are watching).  He fell asleep in the car the other day so Grace finally got a chance to hold his hand.  She was so happy.

Notice the hat...the mouth has fallen off and we had to take it together today.  I don't think it is going to last much longer.  Luckily we have a parrot hat waiting in the wings.  

Wordless Wednesday