Njengomuntu ozoba ubaba one-cerebral palsy, ngazama ukuzilungiselela, kodwa ukulethwa kwezimo eziphuthumayo kwanginika ithuba lokuphahlazeka.
Ngemva kokufunda inqwaba yezinkampani ezithwala izingane ku-inthanethi, angizange ngithole eyodwa eyayingangivumela ukuba ngibophe ingane esifubeni sami ngesandla esisodwa kuphela. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa, umkami uLisa uzobeletha ingane yethu yokuqala, futhi ngifuna umthwali ofanelekayo ukuze akhulule ukukhathazeka kwami njengowesifazane okhulelwe onokukhubazeka kobuchopho.
Ngazama izintambo ezintathu ezikhonjiswe esitolo, enye yayiyisekeni, enye yathengwa ku-inthanethi, eyayibukeka njenge-hammock encane. Ukulungisa noma yikuphi kubo ngesandla sakho sobunxele kuphela akuyona inketho-futhi isidingo sokubopha izingcezu eziningi zendwangu ndawonye kubonakala sengathi ihlaya elinonya. Ngemva kokubabuyisela esitolo, ekugcineni ngavuma ukuthi uLisa wayedinga ukungisiza ngibophe ingane yethu yomfana ebhandeni lesihlalo.
Lapho ngineminyaka engu-32, i-CP yami ingalawulwa isikhathi esiningi. Nakuba unyawo lwami lwangakwesokudla lungase lubambezeleke, ngiyakwazi ukuzihambela. Udadewethu wangifundisa ukubopha izintambo zezicathulo ngisemusha, futhi ngafunda ukushayela ngosizo lwemishini eguquguqukayo eminyakeni engu-20. Noma kunjalo, ngisabhala ngesandla esisodwa.
Naphezu kwemingcele yansuku zonke, ngachitha iminyaka eminingi ngizama ukukhohlwa ukuthi nginokukhubazeka, futhi kwaze kwaba muva nje ngangidebeselele ukuveza i-CP yami kwabanye babangane bami abaseduze ngenxa yokwesaba kwami ukwahlulela. Lapho siqala ukuthandana eminyakeni eyisishiyagalombili edlule, kwangithatha inyanga ukutshela uLisa ngakho.
Ngemva kokuzama ukufihla isandla sokudla esigwegwile nesihlale sibambelele esikhathini esiningi sokuphila kwami, manje ngizimisele ukwamukela ngokugcwele ukukhubazeka kwami ngesikhathi uLisa ekhulelwe. Ngabuyela ekwelapheni ngokomzimba ngokokuqala ngqá kusukela ebuntwaneni ukuze ngifunde amakhono amasha, njengokushintsha amanabukeni ngezandla zombili, ukuze ngikwazi ukulungiselela umntwana wami wokuqala ngokomzimba. Kubaluleke kakhulu futhi ukuba ngithole ukwamukelwa emzimbeni wami okhubazekile, ngibeke isibonelo sokuzithanda indodana yami uNowa.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa zokuzingela kwethu, uLisa ekugcineni wathola ibhande elincane le-BabyBjörn, mina nomelaphi wami womzimba esasicabanga ukuthi kwakuyisinqumo esingcono kakhulu. Ibhande linama-snap alula, iziqeshana, kanye nebhande elincane kakhulu. Ngingakwazi ukuyilungisa ngesandla esisodwa, kodwa ngisadinga usizo lokuyilungisa. Ngihlela ukuzama inkampani yenethiwekhi entsha nezinye izisetshenziswa eziguqukayo ngosizo luka-Lisa ngemva kokufika kwendodana yethu.
Engangingakulindele ukuthi kuzoba yinselele kangakanani ukukhulisa ingane njengomuntu okhubazekile ngisho indodana yami ingakabuyi ekhaya. Ukubeletha okubuhlungu kanye nezimo eziphuthumayo ngemva kokubeletha kwasho ukuthi kwadingeka nginakekele uNowa izinsuku ezimbili zokuqala zokuphila ngaphandle kosizo lukaLisa.
Ngemva kwamahora angu-40 ebeletha—kuhlanganise namahora amane ephusha, kwathi lapho udokotela kaLisa ethola ukuthi uNowa ubambekile, kwenziwa isigaba esiphuthumayo se-C—umntwana wethu weza kulo mhlaba enempilo enhle, enezinkophe ezinde nezinhle— ikhethini iqiniso alimemeza udokotela ngesikhathi ehlinzwa.
ULisa wancokola nomhlengikazi ngenkathi eqoqa izimpawu ezibalulekile endaweni yokululama, futhi ngazama ukuphakamisa ingane yethu ngengalo yami yangakwesokudla ukuze unina abone izihlathi zayo ezibomvu zilele eduze kwethu. Ngagxila ekugcineni izingalo zami zizinzile, ngoba i-CP yami yenza uhlangothi lwami lwangakwesokudla lwaba buthaka futhi luminyene, ngakho angibabonanga abanye abahlengikazi beqala ukugcwala igumbi.
Abahlengikazi babekhathazekile lapho bezama ukunqanda ukopha. Ngabheka ngiphelelwe amandla, ngizama ukuthulisa isililo sikaNowa ngokulala engalweni yami yangakwesokudla evevezelayo ngomzimba wakhe omncane.
U-Lisa wabuyela emuva ehlinzwe izinzwa ukuze udokotela akwazi ukukhomba indawo yokopha futhi wenza ukuhlinzwa kwe-embolization ukuze kunqandwe ukopha. Mina nendodana yami sathunyelwa egunjini lokubelethela sisodwa, kanti uLisa waya egunjini labagula kakhulu ukuze aqashwe. Ngakusasa ekuseni, uzothola ingqikithi yamayunithi ayisithupha okumpontshelwa igazi namayunithi amabili e-plasma.
Udokotela kaLisa wayelokhu ephindaphinda ukuthi ngesikhathi edluliselwa egunjini lokubelethela ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbili e-ICU, bajabula ukumbona ephila. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, mina noNowa sisodwa.
Umkhwekazi wami wayehlanganyela nathi ngezikhathi zokuvakasha, engisiza kuphela lapho kudingekile, futhi enginikeza indawo yokubeka uNowa lapho isandla sami sokudla sivaleka ngokuzenzakalelayo. Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi izinsimbi nazo zizoba usizo, nakuba bengingalindele ukuyiqaqa lapho ngishintsha inabukeni.
Esihlalweni esinyakazayo sasesibhedlela, isandla sami sokudla sasilenga buthaka ngoba ngathola ukuthi umphambili wami ongalingani wawugcina uNowa ezinzile, ngamphakamisa futhi ngamuphakela ngesandla sami sokunxele-ngasithola ngokushesha ngaphansi kwendololwane yami yangakwesokudla Ngapakisha imicamelo futhi ngincike enganeni ngena ingalo yami egobile iyindlela yokuhamba. Upulasitiki onekepisi lebhodlela lakhe ungavuleka ngamazinyo, futhi ngafunda ukubamba ibhodlela phakathi kwesilevu nentamo ngenkathi ngimphakamisa.
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, ekugcineni ngayeka ukugwema imibuzo mayelana ne-CP yami. Lapho othile ephakamisa ukuxhawula engingakwazi ukumphendula, ngavele ngathi nginokukhubazeka. Igumbi lokubelethela aliyona indawo engenza ngikhathazeke ngokukhubazeka kwami, ngakho ngimemezela kubo bonke abahlengikazi abafika bezohlola uNowa ukuthi ngine-CP
Ukulinganiselwa kwami kusobala kakhulu kunangaphambili. Njengobaba okhubazekile, abazali bami bazoba sengozini enkulu. Ngivame ukubhekwa njengomuntu ongakhubazekile, futhi kuyakhathaza ukuphila phakathi kwalokho abantu abaningi abacabanga ukuthi kuyinto evamile futhi edinga usizo. Nokho, phakathi nezinsuku ezimbili kulelo gumbi lokubelethela, ngangiqiniseka ekhonweni lami lokukhulisa uNowa nokuzivikela.
NgeSonto libalele ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa uLisa ephumile esibhedlela, wafaka uNowa ehhanisi, elaliboshwe emahlombe ami nasesifubeni phakathi nehhanisi. Ngisebenzisa umphambili wami wangakwesokudla, njengoba ngafunda esibhedlela, ukuze ngimbambe endaweni, kuyilapho isandla sami sobunxele siboshelwe phezulu. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uLisa wazama ukuphusha imilenze eyisidudla kaNowa ezimbotsheni ezincane lapho ngangingafinyeleli khona. Lapho eseqinise ibhendi yokugcina, sase silungile.
Ngemva kwezinyathelo ezithile zokuzilolonga ekamelweni lokulala, mina noLisa sahamba ibanga elide edolobheni lakithi. UNowa wayelala ebhandeni lesihlalo elisonge emzileni wami, ephephile futhi evikelekile.
UChristopher Vaughan ungumbhali futhi osebenza ekushicileleni omagazini. Uhlala nomkakhe nendodana eTarrytown, eNew York
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Nov-15-2021
