This party was a gymnastics party, so I went in my walker. It felt good to be standing up, nice and tall, just like my friends.
I didn't walk in my walker; Mum pushed me around, but it was better than being in my wheelchair!
I really liked going under the parachute! I tried really hard to hold on to it, too. When it was time to duck under the parachute and lie down, I was still standing up. No one cared. No one even noticed.
Mum loved watching how my friends interacted with me and how inclusive everyone was. My friends really do see me as just another one of the kids. They don't care about my wheelchair or my bulky equipment. They don't care that I don't have words; they understand me, anyway. They like me, because I'm just Dexter.
Usually, parties like this are hard for Mum. She gets sad, seeing all the other kids running around and doing all the activities on their own. She's happy for the other kids, but sad for me. She gets sad for what we can't do and how hard everything is.
But, at this party, Mum felt different.
She was happy. She knew that if she had to leave, I would have been ok. There were adults there, making sure I was included. It wasn't a question of whether I could do things, but how we would manage it, so I could join in and have fun.
This party was so inclusive.
Mum saw how much my friends care for me. She loved how they don't treat me differently. She has been hearing how the kids are so cool with me, but she hasn't really seen it. Until today.
Today, Mum saw that the inclusion and the friendship is very real.
Today was a great day; I had a fun party and Mum had fun, too.
(We will write more about the amazing parties I have been to, the awesome invitations I have received and the special ways so many families have made sure I could have the most fun.)
This photo is me, under the fun parachute.
#DextersReality #cerebralpalsy
Ron’s Rainbow Hair fundraiser
When Your Heart Aches with Sadness
Mum was Crying in the Ball Pit
My Walking Goal
What a Dollar means to Dexter
Stuck in a Rut
Embrace the Lion
I’m a Kindy Kid!
Dexter's 2013
Dexter's First Month
Dexter's Vision
Dexter's Cerebral Palsy
Dexter's Cancer
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