My Very Special Child

               My Very Special Child

                    (A Special Diary)

At the dawn of November 22, 2005 at exactly 4;45 a.m., he   came into this world with a chance of zero probability. At 1.95 pounds, Adi was placed in an incubator filled with medical apparatus  which covered most of his body, that almost shattered my hopes upon seeing my four- day- old first-born. He could not even suck the colostrum he needed for those lips were so little to open for a  breastfeed. Instead, he was managed to feed on a dropper. Since the time I met him, a single  moment of my existence was a  contemplation of prayers in sobbing. No tear missed whenever his father and I gazed at him in the angelic corner of the nursery room. No sound of him was heard among his noisy crowd, only murmurs of cardiomegaly. He was pale, immobile, timid, unclosed fists, believed to have Edward’s Syndrome. I wanted to research about it but I was afraid of the truth of any discovery, so better  be ignorant. He needed to see his pedia in a weekly routine. Each meeting was a surprise for it enabled us to perceive a new if not another disability. His new born screening result was normal, but  his weight stagnated until the fourth month, so he needed to undergo different lab tests_ CT Scan, ultrasound, x-ray, and a number of blood sampling. To my surprise, chromosomal test was normal.

He was a hospital-friendly baby. It was not ordinary for a month that he failed to lay down in the hospital crib! Watching him grew ill each day put me into kneeling that words for prayers became a litany of thanking, asking, and begging moment by moment, time to time, day by day up to when I could no longer say those words but scribbled them on while pleading. ”God, You shouldn’t have been permitted my vows if the sacrifices would be done unto my child!

No focus, no motor progress, no talking, very slender, but sensitive. Never heard him crying only tears flowing on a saintly looking sad face. I thought I was financially unstable but       getting    along the fees of these pedias_ cardiologist, hematologist, neurologist, pulmonologist           internist plus  physical therapist, radiologist among others, their expertise made me realized my son had brought me blessings. 

At two years old, he tried to sit on his own and made it. At three, he did not walk on foot but made crawling. At four, he managed to grasp on his crib’s braces until he was able to stand on countless attempts, at last he made it. This had put me into kneeling again with arms widely open upward, ”God, am sorry for my worthless pleas, may I take back what I have been said and done, I beg You to bestow on me for a long time my son! Thank You for the joy he could only fill unto my heart. Please!”

I named him after his grandfathers_ my father Francisco and my hubby’s father Alijandro_ so he got Frans Aldrew, Adi by nickname. His father never missed a grand celeb of his birthday as the family’s thanksgiving for a blissful year having Adi around. The children's birthday songs and greetings were  accounted for a sprouting bud of life__a miracle.His developmental doctor rated his disability at age 10 he was just 1 year and 8 month-old. Whenever he was confined in the hospital, he was so loved by the doctors and the nurses for they could not find any tantrum over their treatment to him. He willingly gave his arm with a congenial gesture, rarest case among his group, medically evaluated. In SPED schools, teachers were amazed of his sweetness, friendliness, and generosity. At home, he had the most hospitable job_ to welcome the visitors with a waving “hi”, to offer them snacks or to lead them to the dining table, and most importantly to hand a mic for a karaoke jam.

As I watch Adi growing strong, sociable, religious, and worthy I could proudly say, “God, I am the most loved and blessed mother bestowed to a son like Adi.”His cardiologist who once predicted him to last only for two years or to any other medical diagnosis he was proven of or might have, my heart strongly believes in faith that God is the only Healer.    

Adi is now 12 years old and is actively participating in SPED activities. “Tutu” is his innate word for sorry, thank you, and I love you. To God be the Glory!

Mama Judith

(February 20,2018)