Luzader Travels 2006: Baby Steps

The things that make our day are not 'giant steps for all mankind,' but they are enormous leaps in our little universe. Success is measured in this room by the stages that lead up to, baby steps.

It’s difficult to explain the joy we share over a child recognizing their own fingers, learning how to roll over, or hold their head up. These children have to rely on someone else for their survival, so the act of sitting or standing on their own is a huge celebration of freedom and hope for their future. To witness or play a part in any phase of their progress is a reward of it’s own.

KhoaNhi-5yr
Little KhoaNhi lies almost motionless in her bed. She doesn’t respond to much, but everyday I work to move her limbs and calm her trembling fits. The day her blank face turned up a smile to me, brought tears to my eyes.

Mai-
Mai will fight the constraints of his own CP body to make it across the room to be the first into Brian’s arms. He breaks a sweat forcing his arms and legs to work and we cheer his success. The two of them are inseparable and they draw from each others strength.

Gai-18 yr
Gai is an 18 year veteran to this orphanage and lives in the most severely contorted body. I hurt to see her limbs so twisted and malformed. Sometimes she cries out and I think her pain must be unbearable. Often silent tears roll down her face and I find her pillow soaked in suffering. I massage her joints daily and with some coaxing, love and kisses her tears dry up and a beautiful hearty laugh will emerge. It is the sound of her laugh that resonates in me until the days end.

KLe (Snowy)-13yr
When I arrive each morning and afternoon, I greet each of the children with a kiss on the cheek. KLe (Snowy) now lifts her head, rolls to one side and can perch herself up on an elbow. She takes her good hand and reaches out touching my face and I lift her into my arms to swing and sing together.

Van-
Van habitually cries and squirms in the corner of the room and can’t be comforted. She doesn’t like to be touched, fed, or changed. After hours of screaming, one day Brian took her outside to quiet the stressful room. Instantly Van settled into his arms and sat quietly in his lap. Within minutes her tears were replaced with content smiles, and we all breathed in the peaceful sound of her silence.

Hai-7yr
A day at the beach was our favorite with the children. They squirmed with excitement to ride in a car and clapped at the first sight of the shore. Hai was under my care and he squealed with joy as soon as we hit the water. His rigid body balanced atop an inner tube, until the water relaxed his tight muscles. We rode the swells, surfed the waves and played in the warm sand until he was blissfully exhausted. On the way home, Hai smiled himself to sleep in my arms. It was the face of a perfect, happy child. His beautiful face is recorded in my mind forever.