A whole new outlook on life!

In December of 2007, my life changed dramatically. We officially had a new addition to our family.

I was the youngest of 2 daughters in my family. It was just my dad, step mom, older sister, and me. My parents had only been married for a year or so, and we started going to a local church in our town. One Sunday, an elder couple walked in with a baby boy, we held this bundle of joy the entire church service. We knew something was special about this child. He wasn't you "normal, everyday" 5 month old. He could not hold his head up by the time he was 7 months, and we began to worry. We would go pick him up on Friday nights, and return him the following Sunday at church. My parents began to see a draw back in this child's life and began questioning the great-grandparents. They told us that Braden was fine, and he was like every other child, they were wrong. My step mom began taking him to doctors, determined to find out what was wrong. He soon was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. A common birth defect in children's lives. This would affect him for the rest of his life. Months later, Braden still could not hold his head up, he should be walking by this time, but he wasn't. My family was set out on a mission to get this sweet, child of God help. We began doctor visits to Memphis TN, periodically. The doctors finally told us that he would never be able to walk, not even with a walker or crutches. In the meantime, my family decided to adopt this sweet boy into our family and officially become ours. My step mom got on the Internet and began researching, eager to know more about this condition. She found something very up-lifting. A surgery, Selective Dorsal Rhizstomy, was performed on kids only in Missouri, and it was said to help children like Braden be able to walk. She began making phone calls, checking with Physical Therapists, and soon it was verified, Braden would be traveling to Missouri to have this surgery. By this time, the adoption was final and he was legally my brother! Braden had the surgery and is now walking on a daily basis with a walker and sometimes even crutches! I believe God allowed this for a reason! Braden's body just didn't all of a sudden wake up! God had a hand in this and made all things possible.

Having a special needs child in my house isn't always easy, and yes it gets frustrating sometimes, but overall, I wouldn't change the way Braden is for anything. He, not only has impacted the lives of others, but has impacted my life. He has given me a whole new outlook on life and taught me so much. It's amazing what God will do in your life, if you just let him. I'm here to tell you that if you have a special needs child/adult  in your life, THERE IS HOPE! It may not seem like it, but I promise whatever happens, happens for a reason! God makes no mistakes. So, instead of being pity upon yourself and expecting other people to feel sorry for you, take the bad and make it into something good! Use YOUR STORY to impact others! If you aren't around a special needs child on a daily basis, I highly encourage you to get to know one. If you just let them come into your life, they can do so much. Braden has changed the way I look at life now. I see teenagers and even adults ALL THE TIME looking at a child in a wheelchair and laughing, making fun, and it really hurts the child they are making fun of. If you had a disability, would you want people to make fun of you? NO! You would want to feel loved, just like the children who face physical and mental difficulties daily do!!