Monday, February 21, 2011

Jaxson and His Amazing One Arm

Before Jaxson came home I spent hours and hours reading about how to help a child with a limb difference. Little did I know that I should have been reading about how people with 2 arms are the ones with special needs because we give up so easy at things that a child with one arm doesn't give up on. Now there are times that he likes to try to play it off to people that don't know him well enough that he can't do something but that simply isn't true.

My brother-in-law and his wife got us an amazing gift of a Wii for Christmas. There are some games that need two controllers and we wondered how he was going to do that. At first he didn't even try those games but then soon him and his "twin" Paige worked as a team to play those games. Last week Jaxson decided he didn't need anyone to help and he can now do it himself using his feet for the second controller.

Before Jaxson came home I read that for children with one arm you should leave their coats/jackets zipped a little at the bottom so they can just slide the coat over their head and then zip it up. Jaxson decided this winter that if the girls could zip he could too and this winter in his big, heavy coat he started zipping his coat using his mouth.

Jaxson also buckles himself in when we get in the car and he helps his older sisters when they can't get buckled in because of coats.

In the last couple of weeks he has started learning how to tie his shows :)




My advice to anyone adopting a child with a limb difference is to NOT be a germ freak! Let the child have time to figure out how to do things and don't try to do it for them. Let them use their mouth and feet even if the school doesn't agree with it, fight for what you think the child needs. These children our amazing and it truly is only a special need in the eyes of those that don't see it first hand.

6 comments:

Rhonda said...

That's awesome! So glad he's doing well. We think of you all often.

Shelly said...

Thanks Sarah for sharing about all you've learned from Jaxson! He is a true inspiration! I loved the video too, and found several more that this young man created and read his story on YouTube. He is an inspiration as well!

Adeye said...

Wow....that is so amazing! What a strong and courageous little guy you have, friend. And not to mention completely darling too :)

Shonni said...

It is so cool to read about how he is doing! I agree with your last paragraph also!!

Sally-Girl! said...

He is a cutie, such a guy's guy!!! I am always amazed at how Bryson compensates for his disability. He just figures out a way to make things work for him through trial and error. He never gives up!

Kelly said...

Keep moving forward with letting go of the "one arm" thing. My daughter's left arm only seems to be used at therapy, or occasionally when she tries to show off that it could maybe work. She does everything one handed, and we don't find that it stops her. What DOES stop her is her attitude of "ask just in case someone can be manipulated into helping." Yay Jaxon for tying shoes. When Abby learned to do this she was around 4 and spent time whining about it. Now she can do it within 30 seconds AND double knot it so it doesn't come loose. She used to take marker tops off (and put them back on) with her "knee pit" which left marker on her leg, but oh well... Recently she scooped her own ice cream, and I had to make her go back and show me - she stuck the cone in the ice cream in the container and then scooped, and licked the ice cream stuck to the bottom of the cone when she pulled it out. Limb differences don't stop our kids, our helping actually does.... YAY JAXON!