Child and Family Development

When thinking about a good blog for February, the first thing that comes to mind is LOVE.  And while there are many different types of love, I feel blessed to witness a special love everyday I work with the families at Child and Family Development.  This love is the love between a child and his/her parent and the love in return from the parent to the child. 

This past fall I went to a Mark Schultz concert here in Charlotte.  During the concert he sang a song off his new album called "What it Means to Be Loved".  The lyrics of the song really put into words the love I see in my office everyday.  Of course by the first chorus of the song I was trying to hide the tears in my eyes. 

"I wanna give her the world
I wanna hold her hand
I wanna be her mom for as long as I can
And I wanna live every moment until that day comes
I wanna show her what it means to be loved"
 

Don't worry this song has a very happy ending, and as it reached the end, there was no point in hiding the tears any longer - I just let them stream down my face (along with every other person in the audience).  If you haven't heard the song, you should look it up, it is very inspiring!

So this Valentine's Day, I would like to extend my love and devotion to my patients and their families.  But even more importantly I would like to personally thank all the parents of children with disabilities for their love and support of their children.  It is a love that is indescribable and knows/recognizes no bounds.  And most times it is your love and dedication to your children that allows them to make unexpected changes and beat all odds! 

I cannot tell you the number of parents and families I meet who tell me, "They said at birth, he would never walk" and now their son with cerebral palsy is running down the hallway.  Or, "We always were worried about her reaching her teenage years" and now she plays wheelchair sports and can't wait to go to college.  The stories are endless.  One of my favorites is a family whose son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth, and they refuse to call it "Downs" in their house they call it "Ups"!  I recently heard a child that just turned 4, laugh out loud for the first time. 

Often as healthcare professionals; pediatricians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists - we get the credit for the changes made in your children.  But it is really your love and dedication that push your children to want to make these changes.  We are reaping the benefits of what you instill in them!

So THANK YOU and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 
Erin Harkins, DPT