{"id":3223,"date":"2014-10-09T19:11:46","date_gmt":"2014-10-10T00:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rebeccafrech\/?p=3223"},"modified":"2014-10-09T19:23:40","modified_gmt":"2014-10-10T00:23:40","slug":"an-open-letter-to-parents-expecting-a-crippled-kid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rebeccafrech\/2014\/10\/an-open-letter-to-parents-expecting-a-crippled-kid.html","title":{"rendered":"An Open Letter to Parents Expecting a “Crippled Kid”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
Last weekend after wheelchair basketball practice, Ella and I were discussing her teammates and why they were in chairs. I explained to her that most of the kids had spina bifida, and what that meant. She asked why she\u2019d never met anyone with SB before she was in a wheelchair herself. I explained that most parents of children with spina bifida, and other debilitating birth defects, choose to terminate their pregnancies rather than have children who are disabled. She was upset by the thought that anyone would think her life, or those of her friends, was somehow deficient, so she wrote a letter to parents who are expecting a \u201ccrippled kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dear Parents of the Crippled Kid,<\/span><\/p>\n
My name is Ella.\u00a0 I\u2019m 10 years old and in a wheelchair.<\/span><\/p>\n
If you found out that the baby you\u2019re expecting has spina bifida or won\u2019t be able to walk for other reasons, you\u2019re probably scared. I know I was scared when I stopped being able to walk because I didn\u2019t think I could have a good life. All I could think about were all of the things I could never get to do. That\u2019s just because I had never seen the life of anyone like me. I didn\u2019t know that it was okay because it seemed strange, and I didn\u2019t want to be weird. I cried about that a lot. Then my mom showed me that there were people like me everywhere and it was going to be okay. Sometimes it\u2019s better than okay. Some days it\u2019s great to be me. Most days it is.<\/span><\/p>\n
If you\u2019re worried about that baby that you\u2019re having\u2026don\u2019t. He\u2019s going to be okay too. Please don\u2019t abort him. Here\u2019s two reasons why \u2013 <\/span><\/p>\n
Number one \u2013 How could they have a bad life with you for their mom and dad? They won\u2019t unless you\u2019re overprotective and don\u2019t let them do stuff. Their life will be different from other kids but different isn\u2019t bad.<\/span><\/p>\n
Number two \u2013 Well, I don\u2019t really have a second reason. Do you really need one? I know you\u2019re scared and it\u2019s okay to be afraid, but you can still help them have a great life. Yes, people are probably going to stare at them but people always stare at cute kids. The wheels are just extra decoration.<\/span><\/p>\n
Your kid can still get married. They can do ballet and track. They can go to college on a basketball scholarship. Kids in wheelchairs can be skaters or have tea parties, play dolls, do chores, grow up and get jobs. Wheelchair people go to school, do laundry, sing, have friends. We have normal-ish lives like all kids have normal-ish lives.<\/span><\/p>\n
Some of the most amazing athletes and people I know have spina bifida and use wheelchairs, so please don\u2019t get rid of yours because we need tons more amazing people.<\/span><\/p>\n
Thank you,<\/span><\/p>\n
Ella \u2013 the kid in the wheelchair<\/span><\/p>\nElla and Yzma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSkater girl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Last weekend after wheelchair basketball practice, Ella and I were discussing her teammates and why they were in chairs. I explained to her that most of the kids had spina bifida, and what that meant. She asked why she\u2019d never met anyone with SB before she was in a wheelchair herself. I explained that most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1979,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6,5,7,8,28,21],"class_list":["post-3223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ella","tag-faith","tag-friendship","tag-life-lessons","tag-pro-life","tag-truth"],"yoast_head":"\n
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