Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month: Reflecting On Our Journey So Far

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Did you know there are 1 million people in the United States who have cerebral palsy? I guess that means Faith truly is one in a million!  Faith was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was six months old. Prior to that, she had been given the diagnosis of Periventricular Leukomalacia  (PVL). During her premature birth, there was a lack of oxygen to her brain, which resulted in damage to the white matter, or inner part of her brain.  I will never forget receiving that news. Faith's Dad and I were told that nobody knew what the long-term effects of PVL would look like for her. All I could do was stare at my tiny daughter lying in her isolette, hooked up to all kinds of tubes and lines, and choose to believe she would be okay.  Faith in the NICU a few days after she was born. After over 70 days in the NICU, we finally took her home to Watford City. There, she would receive regular visits from an Early Intervention team who would assess her and ensure that she met al...
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Faith Becomes a Teenager!

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Faith turned 13 on October 25th. We celebrated her milestone birthday a week ago today at my parents' house, which has become the official family party place.

It still has sunken in quite yet that I am the mother of a teenager. Despite exhibiting some telltale signs, like hormone overload and emotions running rampant, she is still in many ways my little girl. I'm not sure if that will ever change.

She has had to endure a lot during these past 13 years and every time we are faced with a new challenge, and wonder how we're going to overcome it, it's always her tenacity and warrior-like attitude that completely amazes us.

Though she may be feeling discomfort, she's still able to laugh. Though she might get frustrated by something she can't do, she still has hope. Though she experiences disappointment, she still finds joy. Both Rob and I have learned so much from her, and as we continue to move forward in our journey, I look forward to seeing God's plans for her life continue to unfold.

Here are some photos (and a video) from her 13th birthday party. We are so grateful she had a such good day, and that she was able to relax and enjoy herself while being surrounded by so many loved ones.

Our birthday girl!
Faith visiting with some of her guests!
Faith's auntie Dawn and her cute cousin Marla!
Faith's amazing Wheel of Fortune cake surrounded by pics of Pat and Vanna!


Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for hosting such a great party!
Faith and Rob with some wonderful friends of the family!
Faith with Auntie Barbara and Uncle Todd!
Faith was super excited that her "big" cousins were there along with Haley and baby!
Faith was blessed with many beautiful cards, gifts, and flowers!



Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 5, 2016 at 9:17 PM

    Happy birthday! I love Wheel of Fortune.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cari JeanNovember 6, 2016 at 7:59 PM

    Thank you! That is one of Faith's favorite shows - she loves Pat and Vanna!

    ReplyDelete

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