An Awakening Disability Encounter!
So I recently got to experience firsthand how people react to those with disabilities...
My son fractured his foot at a waterslide park (it had been fun up till that point!). He was bound up in a splint for a couple of weeks and was forced to use a wheelchair to get around. At his young age the novelty of this chair in motion was far more appealing to him than it was to me....though I will say that it was easier than carrying him! We did attempt to try out crutches, but I didn’t think I could handle the stress of watching him teetering and being on the verge of falling every other second – I envisioned another broken foot!
As frustrating as the whole foot disability was, we were thankful it was only a mild blip in the inconvience radar of life and not a permanent lifestyle change...
I developed a great appreciation for those who struggle on a daily basis with much greater physical challenges to overcome.
It never occurred to me that having my son in a wheelchair would cause people to examine him closer, but I totally understand why people are curious. For the most party there is first an inquiring glance to determine the nature of someone’s state of injury, then there is a relief that it isn’t you or someone close to you....then finally there is a pity or “feel-bad” conclusion to their review of the injured party.
Once the onlooker has concluded this injury doesn’t appear to be a life-long affliction there is almost a relief that you can see setting over them...
For the odd few there is sadly a look of “don’t come too close to me” that I’m glad my son is too young to notice. Even though a broken foot is not really in the contagious category, for some they must obviously suffer from the “Hitler” syndrome where only perfection is acceptable....that is truly a shame. You have to wonder how they react when misfortune knocks on their door. (As an aside - Speaking of “Hitler”...I just read an amazingly simple, yet extremely moving book called “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” by John Boyne. It is a book studied by Grade 8 students nowadays in Nova Scotia and I can see how it is so controversial – I urge you to give it a read).
On the flip side of the short term disability my son suffered, there is a kindness found in many staff and businesses we came in contact with.
Did you know the Red Cross offers loans of wheelchairs and many other types of medical apparatus for a donation amount of your choosing?...And you can keep them for up to three months or more if required – what a wonderful organization!
We also took a train adventure and the Via Rail staff were so excellent (Until the end of September children under 12 can travel for ten dollars with a paying adult – can be up to 5 kids/per 1 adult....it’s a super deal and I encourage you to give it a whirl). The Via staff went above and beyond to make my son (and of course the rest of my travelling party) have a comfortable and convenient seat in a special area of the train. They were ready and waiting with his chair when we landed...and the same was true coming back. This was my son’s first train ride and though four hours is a long time for a kid, he was great... though I will say I’m not interested in playing “I Spy with my Little Eye” anytime soon!
Also the hotel we stayed at in Moncton (Ramada – Crystal Palace) was wonderful and everything was so close...
The rooms looked recently renovated and were very modern. We only had to roll down a level to get to the indoor theme park and the staff at the park were terrific. They gave my son a discount for being laid up in his wheelchair, but we still got to go on every ride dozens of times. We usually stayed on a few times in a row, as it was easier than lifting my son up and down that many more times. I certainly got a work out! The arcade there is so great for kids and at the end of our trip we cashed in over 800 tickets to claim our huge stuffed animal prize – he was thrilled...me not so much, as it’s painful lugging those big things around...especially when travelling with a wheelchair bound child– but it was worth it!
So overall my/my son’s experience was a pretty good one, but still thankfully a short one, as a day after we arrived home from Moncton, his foot was deemed to be healed and the wheelchair and foot bandages retired till the next injury (he’s a boy- I’m not in denial that he’ll probably get tripped up again at some point!). But for those of you who struggle for longer term or even life-long disabilities, my hat goes off to you, as it is a challenge and you have to plan for so many potential obstacles which can make the simplest of tasks more intricate.
I hope the summer finds you travelling and experiencing the beautiful weather we have been blessed with this season. Whether you travel near or far, there is much fun to be hand in both the simple and relaxing vacations, as well as the more adventure related trips. I’m just grateful to have time to enjoy with my family...that is more of a gift than we realize sometimes.
P.S. Sorry for the blog delay this week - was just having too much fun and took some extra time out at the beach with family....what a glorious time we had!
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