A Mother’s Journey in Taking Care of Disabled Child (Essay Sample)

A Mother’s Journey in Taking Care of Disabled Child
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We have all had experiences that pass as either life-changing or teach us new things and alter our perspective on how we view things in the society we live. Has any of the encounters transformed your whole life and influenced how you see the world. That is the experience I felt when I interviewed Caroline about her son with Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP affects and hinders a person’s movement with the inability to maintain posture and balance and is the most common motor disability in children. Raising a child with CP brings a myriad of challenges to families. Even though some families are stout depending on the corresponding balance of risks and soundness, problems are bound to arise with consequences on family well-being and parenting. By prioritizing parental cognitive, behavioral, and emotional adaptation to their child’s condition is vital in the well-being of families.
Being a mother is joyous in itself. The joy that accompanies the birth of a child is tremendous to the parents, family members, and friends. Caroline was expecting twins in her third pregnancy and was overwhelmed and excited to have two boys at the same time. Peter, one of the twins, recorded an APGAR score of between 6 and 7. Although the doctors and family assured her that everything was fine, Caroline had her doubts. At about five months, Caroline realized that Peter’s growth was different from the other twin. The right-hand side muscles were very tight, he had minimal effect, and his right hand was always at the same position on his chest. These were red flags to the family, and immediately they raised their concerns with the doctor. With no substantive results forthcoming, Caroline took a further step and sought the services of an orthopedic and a neurologist to put her fears to rest. After one month of running several tests, Peter was diagnosed with CP.
Parents experience a mix of feelings on the realization that their child has a disability. It is an experience that is less or never imagined as no parent wants any harm to happen to their child. The unplanned journey evokes emotions of grief, shock, confusion, denial, guilt, and anger. The urgent need is to overcome such moments of concern and uncertainty to embrace and integrate the care needs of such a kid in the family setup (Ramanandi et al., 2019, p. 58). With the shock of the news and not knowing what to do, the only thing left for Caroline was to cry with a lot of questions going through her head. Breaking the news to her husband Ramsey, the family was devastated. “It was a new phase of life, an unimagined characterized by perseverance, sacrifices, and hard work,” said Caroline. After the diagnosis, Peter was hospitalized for two weeks which he underwent through pervasive neurological examination. The tests attributed the CP to a stroke that Peter had during pregnancy that went undetected. Reasons given for the stroke, such as hiccups and sneezing from Caroline, could not quell her thirst for wanting to know the cause of CP.
Caroline and the family were ushered into a new world of the routine medical system. The doctors recommended several services: physical therapy, occupational therapy, social worker, speech and language, among others. The new coping mechanism requires the reorganization and redefinition of roles with the family structure. A total shift from the common intentions and plans calls for total unity within the family to navigate the new and unexpected challenges. So how do the day-to-day life of Caroline, her husband, and the three siblings to Peter look like? By the time I was conducting the interview, Peter was six years old. The elder siblings, Tom and Jerry, are 16 and 11 years, respectively. John, the twin to Peter, is also six years old. Caroline had to give up her career to take total care of Peter’s needs. Ramsey is the primary provider and has worked hard to ensure all needs of the family members are taken care of: good insurance cover and enough income and resources to cater for arising needs in regards to Peter’s condition. Physical therapy
Caring for Peter is a daily routine that begins at 7.30 am. It takes 30 minutes for Peter to wake and be fully dressed for the day. At 8.00 am, peter takes his breakfast as per the nutritional schedule worked out with the nutritionist and physicians. After breakfast, Peter and his mother leave for a therapy Zero program that they are enrolled in, also composed of a support network of mothers whose children have CP. The zero program is composed of physical therapy concerned with walking, climbing stairs, standing, and operating a wheelchair. Peter spends two hours every day undergoing physical therapy from Monday to Friday. The central role of physical therapy is to boost gross motor activity by improving balance, managing flexibility, developing coordination, and building strength (Inamdar et al., 2020, p. 2). The next one after physical therapy is spent on speech and language therapy. The first assessment on Peter’s cognitive and physical functioning showed difficulty in swallowing and communication. Both Jaw and swallowing exercises have helped with eating articulation therapy has enabled Peter to moderate speech. After three hours of therapy, Caroline and Peter get back home for more physical activity. Ramsey, Peter, and Jerry help f