Spina Bifida Awareness: Meet Alex!

Today we have a story about a cute little fella named, Alex! Here is what his mother, Holli had to say about him:

I've been reading along with the inspiring stories every day and have been meaning to write one about one of the most important people in my life, my son.

Alex is two and a half years old. He and his twin brother are the light of my life!!! They had a difficult start in this world and Alex more so. We learned during our pregnancy that Alex's spine didn't form correctly and that he had Spina Bifida. I worried so much about what his life would be like, having a disability. Then just a couple weeks later we found out that the boys growth had slowed way down and that my placenta wasn't functioning well causing blood flow problems. We had multiple ultrasounds and stress tests per week and we were told to be prepared to lose both of the boys; That certainly put Spina Bifida in perspective. We gained strength then that we could deal with whatever came our way as long as we had our boys at the end of this journey.

They were born 12 weeks early. Alex was just one pound 10 ounces. The first several months of his life were spent in the Neonatal Intensive care unit hooked up to every piece of machine imaginable. He battled surgeries, infections, and finally to breathe and eat on his own. He showed his true colors right from the beginning, he might have been little but he was a fighter! He didn't just amaze us, but also many of the seasoned nurses and doctors who were initially very pessimistic about his future.

If you meet Alex now two and a half years later, he is no less inspiring. He has a very "thoughtful take it all in" persona when meeting any one new. But it doesn't take long before he's batting his eyes and throwing on the charm.

I feel like Alex is the one who teaches ME every day instead of the other way around. I used to worry so much about whether he would be able to walk one day or not. Somehow I felt that that ONE detail would make or break his happiness. I dreaded the "equipment" coming when he was no longer a baby. At just a year and a half old he got his first wheel chair and his world broke wide open. The very thing I wanted to resist was exactly what gave him his wings. From the very first minute of being in his "wheels" it was clear this gave him freedom. He was free to move wherever he wanted, exploring right alongside his brother, often surpassing him even. He reminds us every day what is important in this life, and what is not. Spina Bifida is a part of Alex's story but its certainly not the whole story!

Their personal blog is: www.ourdoubleblessings.blogspot.com.

 

Thank you Holli for sharing mister Alex with us!!