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Saturday, February 2, 2008

Heroes

When we think of heroes, many different images may pop into our head. Superheros are probably the first thing. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Wonderwoman (oh, how I loved that show!), etc. Using their super powers to win against the bad guys. (In fact as I'm writing this, my kids are playing Star Wars. I'm not sure who the boys are, but Little Princess is shouting "Let me in guys, this is Princess Leia" As the sound of lightsabers are heard through the closed door).

Or perhaps a historic person comes to mind. Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Thersea, to name two.

But my hero. My hero is Lego Boy, my 6 1/2 year old son. I've been thinking of this for a while, and on January 10th, 2008 he earned his place as my top hero. Lego Boy was born with profound hearing loss in one ear, he has speech apraxia, and also has autism. On January 10th, he had a Baha hearing aide implant. This was probably most troublesome to me. To see him laying in a hospital bed, his ear bleeding (he also had a hole in his eardrum fixed), a 3X2 inch bald spot behind his ear with a bloody gauze, a metal "snap" with a plastic cap on, plus a "c" shaped incision....what kind of mother was I to elect to have this done to my child! To see him fight against us giving him pain meds..right after surgery. It took 4 of us, 2 nurses, my husband and myself to hold him down and get the medicine down his throat. While he was thrashing about, his IV came out, more blood gushed from his ear...what a sight.

Later I told him he was my hero. "No, I'm not a hero..just a kid" he replied.

A hero is someone who lives their life how it should be lived. Who does not think about how others view them. They are not embarrassed when they are under a table in a restaurant screaming and crying. While their older brother is so embarrassed, their mother thinks "not again, ", the family they are sitting with does not know what to say or do, and their younger sister and father ignore it all. I've learned just to say "Oh, I'm sorry he has autism". The smiles and the talk then start. Questions asked. All is well. Then the hero gets up, sits on his mama's lap and proceeds to eat her food, not caring or acknowledging what has happened.

A hero is someone who goes to school, plays with friends even though he is hard to be understood, does not have acceptable social graces...and yet his friends accept him as he is..and he accepts himself.

Isn't that what it comes down to...accepting oneself flaws and all? And what kind of mother puts her child through that kind of surgery...a good one..one that sees the big picture how his quality of life will improve. And no matter what he says that 6 1/2 year old is and always will be my hero.

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