The Boy Who Lived

Going into physical therapy I had expectations that I was going to see things that I’d never seen in the US. But nothing had prepared me for the thing I saw today. 

A case that blew my mind was a little boy who was supposed to be aborted. Someone who was never meant to see the light was here with us at the clinic. His biological mom had tried to abort him but this little boy was a fighter. There was a lack of oxygen that was meant to kill him but instead just caused issues on the left side of his body. He has a bit of trouble walking and grabbing things things however this doesn’t stop him from being like any kid. This little boy was full of joy and enjoyed trying out new activities with Dr. Deb. His adoptive mother was very supportive and patient with this little boy. Just by looking at them, you can tell that they’re each other's safe place. 

During my time with Dr.Deb, I got the opportunity to play with this little boy. At first, he seemed very scared and didn’t seem like he wanted to play much until the bubbles were taken out. That’s when I felt like we had a connection and he seemed to have more trust in me. We started to interact more by counting the beads into the container, differentiating the color of the beads, and playing with some puddy that contained different animal figures inside. Although he couldn’t grab things with his left hand it didn’t stop him from opening the bottle of bubbles and blowing some bubbles. Every time he blew some bubbles a little laugh followed. His laugh was so contagious I couldn’t help but to smile each time. 

This experience has truly opened my eyes to seeing different perspectives that I’ve never thought of before. I’m grateful for having this opportunity to share this story and learning something new. It makes me wonder if this little boy who was meant to die can do it all, why can’t we? Possibly something that you should think about the next time you see some bubbles.

-Yarely Ramirez Vallez