My favorite color has always been purple until I had my son. And its funny that purple still has meaning in my life as well.
At the age of one my son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
There are several different types of cerebral palsy.
My son has hemiplegia which only affects one side of his body and in his case, it’s the right side.
He’s still able to do a lot of things but there are some limitations. He always amazes me when he does the things they say he wouldn’t do.
During his first year of life, he mostly laid around.
Then when I had my daughter and she started accomplishing her milestones. And there he was trying to do them too.
I remember when he started trying to crawl.
He was three years old. I was staying in an apartment. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Even today I love seeing him crawl. And I truly believe that one day he will walk.
Now he does so much more than crawl.
He’s able to climb up and downstairs. Drink from a sippy cup which is huge because he’s been a tubie all his life due to aspiration to the lungs when he drinks by mouth.
After a swallow study he was approved to drink by mouth because it no longer showed liquids going into his lungs.
And this is very common in children with cerebral palsy.
Green became my favorite color when I found out it was the color that represented cerebral palsy.
I love wearing green for Jaylen. I also wear purple for Jaylen for epilepsy and even blue for autism.
But his very first diagnosis was cerebral palsy. We are very big on green in my house.
Having a child with cerebral palsy has taught me so much.
My son is my most informative teacher and he doesn’t teach me with words. He’s unable to talk. He taught me through courage, strength and most importantly unconditional love.
You know how they say actions speak louder than words?
Well, that saying is true because although I never heard him say he loves me I know he does.