Spring 2006 was especially cold in Fairbanks. For the most part we
knocked around outside braving the weather, as Alaskans generally do.
We also made ourselves comfortable indoors. Some of us were
writing: scribbling poems, amassing memoirs, and researching the next
breakthrough novel. Me? I was finding Alex.
Alex
is a child with a very contented life.
She lives in a happy home filled with doting siblings, has
throngs of wonderful friends and a teacher at school who believes in
her. Alex also has Downs.
One
creative morning that Spring, I wrote the poem Down
Syndrome Child. It was inspired by the love of Alex, though it’s
about every child living life to the best of his or her ability, no
matter the challenge. It’s
also about those of us who, day by day, love our children just as they
are.
It’s
estimated that nearly four hundred thousand people in the United
States have Down Syndrome. Each year, 5500 babies are born with Downs.
And every day across our country, millions of children not too
different from Alex are testing the limits of an assortment of
diagnoses. Diabetes, epilepsy, and other serious conditions are part
of their daily routine. Within
each of these incredible children is an amazing story.
A heart-wrenching, life-changing narrative that family,
friends, teachers, and doctors occasionally share with trusted others.
As
the mother of a child with a medical condition, I felt uplifted by the
successes in Alex’s young life and inspired to create a similar
model for my son, Cross. Cross
had been struggling for two long years with persistent health issues.
As a result, we spent most of our time meeting with doctors,
interpreting medical-models, contemplating interventions, and
searching for solutions. But
no matter how hard we worked to keep him healthy, Cross had difficulty
breathing and was prone to chronic sickness.
Acting
on doctor’s orders, we replaced most of the carpets in our home with
hardwood floors, though noticed only slight improvements in his
overall health. After
Cross tested negative for allergies, we sought out specialists who
medicated him as an asthmatic, but his condition remained marginal.
Inevitably, phrases like “failure to thrive” surfaced. Some days I
worried that my son might not make it.
By the fall of 2006, I was scared, our family was exhausted,
and five-year-old Cross seemed aged beyond his years.
Then
in June 2007, we began to find peace.
It came in the form of a doctor, namely, Liane Erickson, a
naturopath at the Avante Medical Center in Anchorage.
I relayed to Dr. Erickson everything we had done for Cross to
date. While impressed with our level of determination, Dr. Erickson
encouraged us to do more. We
exchanged wooden bedroom furniture for metal, bought an all natural
mattress, and organized toys in covered shelving units to manage dust.
Moreover, Dr. Erickson put our son on a strict diet (no wheat,
dairy, corn, or soy) for six months, maybe considerably longer. We
were encouraged to “think organic” as often as possible.
It
seemed a daunting task, but we did it anyways, and the results were
amazing. Within a month of this new routine, Cross was nearly symptom
free. Within two months, we started weaning our son off eight
different medications. Within three months, he was asymptomatic and
medicine free.
Cross
has been well for over a year now.
And today, depending on conditions, he can stray from his
regimented diet—in fact, Dr. Erickson recommends it.
Eventually his body may tolerate a wider range of stimuli, and
occasionally we “test his system”.
I do feel a little nervous watching my son eat pizza or slurp
ice cream but we’ve decided to embrace small miracles.
Most importantly, I’ve learned that hurdling past challenges
is something that families whose children have medical conditions just
learn to do. And for the
moment, we are peacefully enjoying life... day after beautiful day.
DOWN SYNDROME CHILD
Down
syndrome child
You turn me inside out
I love you with my right side up
I praise you all about
Certainly,
you’re different
Yes—not like all the others
But as for me, I’m truly blessed
A humbled, prideful mother
God’s
children wander
Spreading seeds afar
But you oh little, sweet one
Travel in my heart
Through
the miles, down the years
We’ll stumble on our road
I dry a swollen, silken tear
You stop to smell a rose
Our
paths were joined
United, very long ago
My soul has taken flight with you
Flourish now and grow
Down
syndrome child
I’ll never be without
You turn the love within me
Right
side, inside out
Becky
Strub
is the proud parent of Cross, a contented little boy who’s happily
entering the first grade with the support of many trusted others who
believe in him.
