CEREBRAL PALSY...GLASS HALF FULL PHILOSOPHY (Funny Story)

My Grandson

James Patrick

Tonight while taking his bath, James asked his mother a question she has been dreading.  James 

stops playing, looks dead pan into his mother's face and asks, "Mama, why do I have *the palsy* (his name for CP)? My daughter, holds her breath and begins to share with James what "the palsy" means, but before she gets more than 1 sentence out, James interrupts to ask, "Do any of my friends have "the palsy"?...Mother, "Well, 1-2 of your friends have Cerebral Palsy but none of your friends at school have CP."  And just as deadpan as he could be, he says,

 "Oh?! (said as though he has had an Ah Hah, Lightbulb moment)

Is *the palsy* why I'm so AWESOME ?"

I GUESS, IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT A SITUATION!

YOU CAN EITHER BE A GLASS HALF EMPTY OR A GLASS HALF FULL

KIND OF PERSON.

PERSONALLY, I LIKE JAMES'S PHILOSOPHY BEST!  HE MAY JUST BE THE WISEST LITTLE FELLA I KNOW!

James Patrick

was born 8 weeks premature

with a Grade 3 Brain Bleed

This is his MRI

JAMES IN NICU...OCT. 7, 2007

 JAMES AND HIS FIRST WHEELS

                               

                                            JAMES , AGE 2 1/2, SDR SURGERY, ST. LOUIS                                       SCAR....BUT SO WORTH IT!   

                                                                                 

                                           AFTER SURGERY PHYSICAL THERAPY                                          

                                                JAMES IN ADELLI SUIT DEVELOPED FROM THE
                                                          SPACE PROGRAM TO GIVE SPATIAL
                                                             ORIENTATION TO CP CHILDREN

                                                                            

                                             JAMES GROOMING HIS HORSE PRINCESS

                                   
                                                                   COWBOY JAMES  

     
                                                           SCHOOL PICTURES 2012                        

                             
                                             JAMES BEING INTERVIEWED ON LOCAL TV

                           
                                                JAMES AND HIS FAKE BLACK-EYE

                                                      JAMES READING WITH SANTA  

                                                 
                                                        JAMES AND MOMMY

                           
                                      DADDY, MOMMY, AND JAMES

Today, James is enrolled in a typical Kindergarten class with an aide to help him maneuver from place to place.  In the classroom he uses a walker or canes along with the braces he wears on his legs and feet.

Academically, James is right on grade level and somewhat above with his reading.  He uses a device called an alphasmart to take spelling tests by using a keyboard.  This device is needed since his lack of motor control over his arms and hands prevents him from holding a pencil. Next year he will receive an IPad for written work.  Recently, another MRI was done to rule out any anomalies that would explain his nocturnal seizures.  Nothing had changed since the one you see at the top of this post.  However, within the last month, James has had a few peti mal seizures at school.  Medications have improved his concentration but further adjustment is needed to control the seizures.  Given all his physical disabilities, James is a delightfully funny, articulate, little 6 yr. old boy who loves people, his music, his dog Neela, his cat Flower, and just happens to think of himself as AWESOME.  

My Grandmama Prayer for James is to always believe in himself while having empathy for others.

I would say that is a Glass Half Full Philosophy!

BLESSINGS