An Absolute Joy
“Maya is the happiest child you could ever meet,” says her mother Julie “especially considering her difficult first three months of life, when we didn’t think she’d make it.”
Maya was born prematurely and developed a brain bleed 36 hours after delivery, resulting in cerebral palsy. She comes to Bloorview Kids Rehab for medical services, speech, swim, music, occupation and physiotherapy and attends Sr. Kindergarten at the Bloorview School Authority.
“When that happened, we grew up quickly and it was hard to relate to other families who had healthy children, but over time, we became more compassionate, caring people. Her older sisters Melissa, 15, and Marlee, 11, developed a maturity beyond their years, as a result of all we’ve been through,” says Julie.
Maya brings out the best in people. She seems to attract people to her without even trying and captivates people with her incessant chatter. Julie feels blessed to have her and although she candidly admits the burden of her many needs has overwhelmed her at times, she has come to realize that if Maya is happy, she doesn’t feel she has the right to be miserable.
Every three months, Maya has to receive painful injections in her thighs and the back of her legs. She braves the procedure, but calmly cries. Maya is an absolute joy, never sad, rarely clingy, even when she has to undergo painful surgery. She has a maturity beyond her years.
Julie considers Maya to be a gift to her family. She feels fortunate to have her, as she shows her family what’s truly important. Although there’s a lot of struggle in caring for a child with special needs, and financial burden, Julie has developed a grateful attitude.
“We are very lucky to have a place like Bloorview so close to home,” says Julie, “I think every community should have a Bloorview to be able to receive all these therapies under one roof.”
Julie is enthusiastic in her plea for donor support, “Children depend on all of these things and if people don’t contribute, we might not get the high quality resources and cutting edge services. You never know who’s going to need the services and there has to be a place for children with special needs.”
“In one second your child’s life can change. Any child can become disabled at any time, not just at birth,” says Julie.
