by Lisa James

Created on: March 15, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I was only 19 years old when I had my oldest daughter, and I found out that my daughter was ill. She was born with a rare heart problem and during the surgery to correct this problem, she died and the doctors brought her back to life. While she was being resuscitated her brain had lost oxygen therefore causing my daughter to have cerebral palsy. Her official diagnosis is-

*Cerebral Palsy / Spastic Mental Retardation / Paraplegic*

I was very optimistic that my daughter would be able to overcome this by using other parts of her brain to compensate for the damaged parts. I worked with her everyday for 2 years and the doctors and myself were happy with the progress she had made. However she had a seizure a big one and all the work we had done was finished. We had to start all over again, and we did and once again we got to the same point as before and she had another huge seizure. Undoing all the work we had once again done. Only this time she would never come back. My daughter is now 20 years old and in a wheelchair, she doesn't walk, talk, eat, crawl, she is still in diapers... but she is one of the happiest people I know. She is so innocent, and sweet, she is truly the purist most inspirational {soul} person I have ever met.

It's funny because I am supposed to be the one teaching her but instead she teaches me. I have learned patience, strength, courage, optimism, forgiveness, and what it is like to have unconditional love, and how to love unconditionally. She has taught me about my own weaknesses as well as my strengths.

I believe God gives us kids with special needs because they are extremely special souls and it's his way of protecting them from the evils of the world. I also believe that he gives us {the parents} kids like this because we too are special souls that he protects us from the evils of the world by allowing us to see the gift of innocence. Having my daughter just the way she is makes everyday special, and I look forward to waking up in the morning and seeing that sweet, beautiful smile on her face. I am so very thankful to have been given a chance to be pat of someone so special.

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