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Nathan ' s Early Years Family Photo him with Cerebral palsy . Though we suspected that something was wrong with his development since he was months old , we never suspected anything this serious , let alone this debilitating . The diagnosis of Cerebral palsy came as a shock . I didn ’ t even know what this all meant , because outside of the name of the disability and what my son will never ever be able to do , no other information was given to us by the neurologist .
hospital in Kingston , Jamaica , before he was discharged and sent home . I still remember the feelings of jubilation when he came home . We were so happy to receive our baby who we had been waiting for from the moment I found out and made peace with the fact that I was pregnant . He was discharged from the hospital and we were never given any information or prepared for what was to come . When we left the hospital with him that day , we thought the worst was over . None of the medical or healthcare personnel prepared or even alerted us that something might go wrong with his development because of what he had gone through .
Nathan came home and we noticed very soon that he was not developing typically like his siblings . For instance , at four months , he still behaved and responded like a newborn . He could not hold up his head , could not sit even when supported , had problems eating , could not track or focus on any objects and seemed unaware of the world around him . I brought this to his doctor ’ s attention during his post-surgery clinic visits , but the doctors didn ’ t respond satisfactorily . So , I stopped going to the Hospital ’ s pediatrician and took him to a private pediatrician . It was there that my concerns were taken seriously , and we started a process of tracking his development or lack thereof more closely .
At nine months he was still significantly delayed in almost all his milestones . He was referred to a pediatric neurologist , who diagnosed
I went through a period of utter despair . I thought the diagnosis was a death sentence , and that my son would have died as an infant . I became very afraid of leaving him alone , let alone going to sleep . Fear was my constant companion for a long time .
From the time of the diagnosis until Nathan was 2 ½ years old , were the most difficult , as we struggled to find information to figure out what services he needed , where to find these services and what we … I could do as a mother to help him .
After two years , I was no closer to understanding this condition and the effect it would have on my child . I felt helpless , as I did not know how to help my child . I was shrouded with a deep sense of grief and loss , as all I was told