What was your first experience with a person with a disability? Is there any advice you could give to others from your experience?

I had a son that was born with a disability called pigeon breast.  It was a deformity from birth.  It was a sunken in area in the chest area.  There were Type A, B, and C.  He was diagnosed with Type B.  He was 7 years old at the time and could have had corrective surgery, but the process that my child would have had to go through was unbearable.  The doctors would have to go into the chest area, crack the ribs on each side of the chest.  The child would then have to lay flat on his back for at least 5-6 months, no movement whatsoever.  Eventually, the healing would take place, but once the child gets older, he would have to repeat the surgery because of growth of the bones.  Luckily, he outgrew the problem and filled out very well in the chest area.

My first experience working with a child with disabilities is this year.  This child has PKU, we have to watch what he eats, he can’t have meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, milk, he is on milk substitute.  It is hard to remember what he can eat and what he can’t eat.  But we are managing this disability.

Feather B.

My son Weston is four years old and he was six months old when he was diagnosed with asthma.  He was having a hard time breathing.  And I took him to the hospital and they took his oxygen level now he gets admitted 2 to 3 times a year.

This year is my first experience is with a child that is Down Syndrome and uses sign language.  I said this myself Oh God how am I going to teach that.  I don’t know anything about sign language.