Mama, am I a real boy now?

by Lianne Bird
(Peepeekisis FN,Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Alyxander was a gift to us, born 13 years after our last boy. A strong bundle of energy, loving and enthusiastic for life, he awoke our house and filled it with laughter and love. That is, until we began to notice a change. There had always been quirks, tags that bothered him, clothes that smelled "funny", food that got spit out as soon as it went in, but he was our baby and we just changed our lives to fit him.

But when he turned three I began to notice some changes. There was a birthday video, which when I viewed later, I noticed that he was only speaking to me. His hands were over his ears more than usual. He cried at happy birthday. It would be 7 years before he would allow us to sing to him. I began a long trek to doctors, throughout our province, trying to put a name on what was so difficult to describe. Then we were referred to an occupational therapist. She helped Alyx to jump, swing, sit in sand, listen, and control his mouth. She did wonders, and I credit her with helping us to survive SPD.

Alyx is now a healthy Grade Seven student, who plays football and soccer, can sit in a regular classroom (most of the time)and who last week, went out to get sand to play in with his action figures. There are still bad days but we know he has the strength to get through each day. And we have the ability to help him.