When your child cannot walk... you carry them.
You carry them until it's no longer physically possible for you to do it.
We can still carry Dexter. Over the years, we have adjusted the way in which we lift and carry him. Every time he has a growth spurt, we make subtle changes, so we can still hold him.
Dexter is developing the ability to hold on to us, as we carry him, but he is unreliable with this. Usually, he will throw his head and upper body backwards, which makes carrying him difficult. Part of this movement would be his dystonia (uncontrolled movements) but a lot of it is his desire to be on the floor and not in our arms. He is five, after all.
People who have not regularly carried Dexter over the last five years, find it difficult to carry him.
Dexter absolutely trusts us, which makes it easier. Sometimes, we are carrying him, safely, but in an awkward manner. If we tell him we 'have him', he is calm and still. It's his way of helping.
We also need to lift his equipment, sometimes in and out of the van. We do have ramps to help us with this.
It's important that we look after our backs and stay strong.
Dexter weighs about 18 kilograms.
Lift and carry a 10-20kg bag of potatoes.
Walk up a hill carrying them. Lift them into a car seat. Stand and talk to a friend, balancing the weight and maintaining a conversation without huffing and puffing.
Because of countless nights sleeping on hospital chairs and the daily lifting, bending and turning while carrying heavy equipment (and Dexter), his mum's back, hips and shoulders are no longer in the correct alignment. She is fortunate in that she is able to access fortnightly remedial massages. The therapist does an excellent job. These massages leave Dexter's mum covered in bruises, often in tears and holding her breath with the pain. They also enable her to continue carrying Dexter. At the moment, she is needing these massages weekly.
#cerebralpalsy #raisingawareness