The very special erica
“I remember the day that I held my daughter in my arms for the very first time, Labor Day 2010! After several months of severe pain and agony, my miracle child was born of a mother who by then was still on a wheelchair.
I was so happy and excited, with my baby girl in my arms I felt that now more than ever I wanted to live on. Being a first time mother, I could not notice anything until my sister-in-law mentioned that my child was very slow in reaching the common baby milestones.
So on our next clinic visit at the age of 4months, the pediatrician also raised concern and sent us to a neurologist. When the results came out, I felt like the world had come crumbling down on me again barely 4months after I had found a new reason to continue living! My angel baby girl was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Her brain had been damaged when I had an accident at 23 weeks of pregnancy.
It took me a while to accept that my precious baby girl was not going to be like every other child I see around. That she will not be sitted at 6months, she won’t walk before she was one, run and play around with other children her age. This was very frustrating but nevertheless I loved her more. I started taking her for occupational therapy and I have been doing so to this day.
Her milestones are still very slow but showering her with lots of love, care and prayer has made me view her not as a child with disabilities but as a special child who deserves to enjoy everything that every other child enjoys. She has also made me rise up to be a source of inspiration to many parents going through similar or even worse situations.
There is no single hour that passes without me thinking of my baby Erica, not the thought of what she can and cannot do yet, but the thought of what a special child I have and love. She is the air that I breathe and would not exchange her for anything on this world.
Mums, we are stronger than we may ever understand and we can overcome any obstacles set for us or our children.”
Christine Hannah Gitaka