Charna's Story

Watching from the Sidelines

My daughter's accident happened July of 2002. Charna was three years old at the time she sustained a severe spinal cord injury that has left her paralyzed in her lower extremities.  

In the 4 1/2 years since her accident, my family's life in Flint, Mich., with our now 8-year-old daughter has been both rewarding and difficult. We are thankful she has regained some partial ability to move.

Rewarding, too, in the sense that we still have her and that her injuries have not proven as critical as her doctors first believed. Also, Charna is the happiest and most joyful person you could ever meet. I could go on bragging about her as I am a very proud mother.

Charna plays in the pool as a toddler. She is now an 8-year-old.

The difficult part of her injury, for my husband and I, is watching her sit on the sidelines while all her friends are running around and playing outdoors. Even though I usually try to rig up some way for her to participate in all activities, at times it is just impossible. At school, she cannot even play on the slide for fear that other kids, who are also playing, may knock her off. She so loves to slide and feel the wind in her hair, but is unable to do so for safety reasons.

Other difficulties include handling her bathroom duties. I have to make sure that she goes or it can become fatal. I have to watch every cold so that it doesn't turn to pneumonia. I have to watch for pressure sores. Medically the list can go on and on. Dealing with insurance companies is an almost never-ending challenge. They refuse so much that is or would be a benefit to my child. I couldn't even get a bath chair for her so I could safely bathe her, because they feel bathing is not a necessity, so I had to construct a sitting device for her. Charna is allowed only 12-13 weeks of physical therapy a year, which is one 60-minute visit a week. That meager amount of physical therapy is nowhere close to the amount of time she needs to help her condition improve.

The list of obstacles that confront my daughter every day is virtually infinite. Society is not designed for those who are unable to walk, especially children. As hard as it is for a parent to witness the suffering of their child, I know it is harder on her. Yet she rarely cries or complains about her situation.

On those rare occasions when she expresses frustration, it is usually to question why it is that fate has made her legs unable to work.

I don't understand why there is such a problem with embryonic stem cell research. I wish those who oppose this vitally needed research would spend just spend one day with my daughter and I, to just witness what we endure together. There is nothing harder than seeing such a beautiful little girl so full of life being limited to completely enjoying it.

Right now, not only do I have to try and tend to her physical needs, I have been working real hard at her mental needs. I have been teaching her to stay positive and no door has been shut on her. Yes, it may take more for her to overcome the ignorance of others and a lot of inner-determination to achieve her goals in life, but she can do it.

Like I said at the beginning, she is a very happy young lady. She is full of life and determined to have happiness. I carry the hope and faith that she will walk again. I believe if God didn't want us to use embryonic stem cells he would not have given man knowledge to pursue this research.