Today kicks off the first day of spina bifida awareness month. When I was 22 weeks pregnant, Madi was diagnosed with spina bifida. I had no clue what spina bifida was and I was so scared. I felt like my world was crashing down. I had no idea what it meant for her and the doctor made it sound like a death sentence (literally). I remember pleading with God and telling him that I could deal with anything He threw our way, but to please let her make it through the rest of our pregnancy and in to my arms. Not long after Madi was born I realized how much of the story the doctor left out. Sure, there would be surgeries, therapies, appointments, wheelchairs, etc...., but more importantly there would be smiles, laughter, joy, determination, and LIFE. He forgot to tell me the “stuff” would all start to feel normal, and it would all be ok. Fast forward a few more years and Madi’s diagnosis also brought us Ramya, because we had learned over the years that spina bifida and wheelchairs really aren’t scary. Now we get the privilege of watching both girls grow, thrive, and live their lives abundantly. I hope by sharing our lives we have helped everyone see that we aren’t defined by our list of “cant’s” (and trust me, every person on this earth has a list in one form or another). That list doesn’t rob us of our joy or keep us from living our lives to the fullest. We don’t live life on the sidelines. We are truly blessed beyond measure.
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