Cerebral Palsy will Not Change Maelee

Monday is a day that we were dreading, it was an appointment we did not want to go to, and the words we were hoping to never hear came out of Maelee's neurologist's mouth. "Your daughter has Mild Left Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy......."

We knew that this outcome may happen, we had done the research, gotten Maelee the best therapy possible, and even enrolled her in school for the fall. But hearing these words made it real. Our daughter has CP and there is nothing we can do to change that fact now. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel guilty, if I didn't think what else could I have done to change this outcome, or maybe we should have gotten help sooner. 

Maelee is starting to show wonderful improvements with therapy and her neurologist believes she has  wonderful outcomes ahead of her. It won't be easy and we have no way to know how this will affect her as she grows and learns, all we can do is help her with everything we have.  Her left arm and leg are weaker and she has hypertonia. Some days are hard, some days are alright. Many people will look at Maelee and think there is nothing wrong with her.  Many will question the diagnosis but if I could take a video of where we started to where we are now it is a world of difference. Therapy is Maelee's treatment for both her CP and sensory concerns. 

There is no cure for CP just treating the symptoms.  She will be continuing therapy and we are looking into getting extra therapy once we find out if she is enrolled in school this fall.  Our counter in the kitchen has turned into a file cabinet and my cell phone is filled with phone numbers....but I truly would not have it any other way. I am blessed to be home with Maelee right now, to be able to be her advocate through it all, and to see her progress each step of the way is life changing.

There has never been a day since Maelee arrived that we haven't been thankful for the blessing in our lives. Her having CP will not change that, a label will not change our girl. Maelee may have CP and she may have some sensory processing problems but she is Maelee and we don't know her any other way. She is our baby girl!  There is no diagnosis or label that will take that away from her- we won't allow it and will fight with everything we have to keep her world happy and filled with love. 

Maelee is our miracle and the center of our world! She is the most loving, kind, adorable, and happy little peanut you will ever meet!

Maelee acting silly in the morning! :)

Amazing Possibilities!

Today we made the decision to fill out the application to enroll Maelee in a preschool/daycare program 1-2 mornings a week starting in the fall! I am so excited for her to have this opportunity and pray they can find a spot for our sweet girl. The place we chose is Special Kare for Special Kids. After taking a tour today I know that I was lead there for all the right reasons.

When I arrived for our tour this morning we were welcomed with open arms and Maelee was all smiles! The day had started out great for us so I figured maybe there would be no sensory concerns while we were there.......or would there?  After meeting some wonderful staff members, the teachers Maelee would have, and seeing all the therapy they have to offer I was convinced we were in the right place. But about 30 minutes into the conversation a teacher got a little to close to Maelee, rubbed her feet, and it was on (screaming, bouncing, and those crazy legs flying....to mention few things)....and then I knew we were in the right place! The teacher didn't give her or I a weird look but instead responded the way I would. She backed away, gave Maelee her space, and continued to speak to me. I felt like Maelee was accepted and that they had no problem with her needing to react this way. They understood what she was dealing with. The lady giving the tour spoke to me about her daughter and how she was in a college and had been dealing with Sensory Processing Disorder her whole life. For that moment I felt less alone, I felt like Maelee would feel less alone in this huge world.

When I told them all we had been through with Maelee they showed true care and compassion. I felt like I had walked into a world where people truly understood and would not judge my child if she bit or banged her head on a bad day, where my child could drag her left leg if she was tired or not use her left hand if she just couldn't that day and wouldn't be looked down on, we walked into a world where children from all walks of life were being loved and educated.


Hopefully they will have a spot for our sweet Maelee! I know she will benefit from it so much!