I was on Facebook today and saw a video that absolutely disgusted me. A friend of mine posted it with nothing but good intentions, but everything was wrong with it. I will link it at the end of this blog, but first let's discuss.
There is nothing wrong with people with disabilities, I don't care how severe. If someone on their deathbed can hear you, I don't care how severely "disabled" someone is, they can hear you too if they are not classified as hearing impaired. The video was of this man sobbing next to his 2 year old disabled son and his other child was reading the feed of his chat a few feet away, also susceptible to everything the father was saying.
He was crying about how his son would never do this or that, asking himself basically what he did to deserve it. Don't get me wrong, no child is ever sunshine and roses 24/7 so even parents of children without disabilities will go through weak moments and they're totally entitled to it. But a parent's #1 job is to love and BELIEVE in their child ABOVE ALL ELSE. Above their own doubts, above anything a doctor says...about EVERYTHING.
He's probably right because whether you think you can or can't, you're right. So he's going to raise his son under the assumption he WILL NOT improve and reach strides like other kids. And his other child will hear all of it. My younger brother got nervous something would happen to me even though I was raised as being no different. I can't imagine how damaging it would have been to hear my parents cry and act like they're being punished. For myself and my brother, that would have given no hope. It was so normal for him to see me in a wheelchair, he asked when he was getting one!
Listen, I'm by no means saying most of it will be easy for any parent, let alone a single one with a special needs child and their sibling to take care of. But this guy needs to be careful because the other child sounded like he was consoling his grown father and that's not healthy for a child to step into that role. If he wants to break down and cry, he should do it alone or find friends in a support group. I recommend an uplifting one where parents do more than sit around and cry, but instead encourage each other.
My parents raised me to believe I can do anything, despite doctors telling them I'd pretty much be a vegetable my entire life (doctors' words) and it's helped me grow into the self sufficient woman I am today. To be honest, I'm probably better mentally than most who are walking around. I do everything except walk and I'm by no means a vegetable. It's all in how you raise your kids, not the circumstances they're born under or what a doctor tells you. Don't give up on them before they even have a chance because proving doctors wrong has been so much fun for me!
Here is the video:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1282174208481190&id=731743396857610
Here is a video I made last year on the subject of parents who have children with disabilities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gghr9aODvUU
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