Imperfecta


Life does not have to be perfect...
Her son was sitting in a wheelchair facing her. Mother and son chatted while waiting their turn to see the doctor when my mother struck up a conversation--here we go again. I am thankful for the story shared.
The young boy, just 11 years old, has Osteogenesis imperfecta. His twin brother does not have the condition, but his older brother also inherited the disease from their father. The boy's mother shared that after she and her husband had their first child and learned their firstborn had inherited Osteogenesis imperfecta, they decided they would ensure he was also their lastborn; they would not risk passing it along to other children. Her husband had a vasectomy, and on the very day of his procedure, she discovered she was expecting another child. Two, to be exact--fraternal twins!
Also known as brittle bone disease, Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is very rare. There are fewer than 20, 000 cases in the U.S. per year. OI is incurable and causes bones to break easily from minimal or no cause. In severe cases, fractures can occur even before birth. Other symptoms of the disease might include a bluish tint to the whites of their eyes, short stature, and problems breathing.
This young mother has a husband and two children with OI and another child, who fortunately does not have the condition. She struggles to protect her older son who longs to participate in sports but cannot due to his condition. I imagine caring for three family members with OI would be more than most moms could manage to carry. And yet, there was one more child who needed her love. She and her husband recently adopted a two-year-old daughter through a kinship foster-to-adopt program (https://www.childwelfare.gov/…/resources/caregivers/kinship/). When the need presented, they said yes.
I'm grateful my mother made a connection. I'm grateful a complete stranger graciously shared her story; thankfully, life did not have to be in perfect order to open her heart and her home.
~ LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran



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