I met Aaron for the first time a few days ago, and I can truly say my life has been changed. I am a pretty loving compassionate person and so when I met Aaron I felt instantly connected with him. But as I spent more time with him I realized that was teaching me a few things. He has taught me that life is so precious, to be in the present (the way Aaron looked up at the wind blow through the trees and how he laughs so hard when he gets tickled), you don’t need to have a care in the world. When you learn of his diagnosis you would think he might have a lot to worry about, yet his spirit is joyful and peaceful. He has such a huge personality and it’s just amazing. My heart has been touched so deeply. And meeting his momma Amanda…. wow I am a changed woman. She has so much strength and love and compassion for her son. They interact with each other with a perfect chemistry. He loves her so very much and she loves him. Aaron has a lot of issues but they all stem from one thing, Cytomegalovirus also known as CMV. http://www.stopcmv.org/ He has proven the doctors wrong by hitting the milestones they thought he’d never meet. He is 8 yrs old and just learned to walk, it is a miracle!
Here are words from Amanda and her family members about Aaron and how amazing he is.
“Every death is a wake up call to live more fully, completely, and presently.” -Oprah
Now, `death` doesn’t always have to only mean the loss of life. To me, it means the end of something, of anything. Whether it is the death of a dream, of a marriage, or the death of the idea of having a “normal” healthy child. When the typical woman gets pregnant the main thoughts are of a life with a beautiful child running around, making you laugh, driving you nuts, going to school, getting married, and having kids of their own. I was no exception. Never once did the thought of having a special needs child cross my mind. Then one day, six months after my son was born, we discovered that he had some serious problems and I was devastated. That was the `death` of my dream of having a happy, normal, healthy child.
Now, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my son Aaron and wouldn’t change him for the world. I truly feel in my heart that he is perfect in every way. He helps put things into perspective for me. He is my `wakeup call.` I haven’t always been the strongest. I have thought about things that could have been. But Aaron always pulls me back. He may never play sports or be president, but that doesn’t mean he can’t shoot for the stars. He gives me everything I could want from a son. I believe he is here to show not just me but everyone about having humanity, humility, and showing us what unconditional love really is. He is a constant reminder that we need to `live more fully, completely and presently.`
Typically when I tell people I meet about Aaron and I go through the list of diagnosis I get the same response, “Oh, I am so sorry, that is so sad.” I just look at them and say very frankly, “Don’t feel sad for me or Aaron. I feel sorry for you (meaning parents of typical developing kids) I will NEVER have to deal with Aaron talking back, doing drugs, sneaking out, or getting a girl pregnant.” LOL, I always look forward to the reactions I get. Most of the time they get a good laugh and I see their whole way of thinking change.
A cousin of Amanda’s says, “I love ALL of my nieces and nephews, but Aaron has a special place in my heart. He personifies.”
Words from Aaron’s Grandpa:
He was born with a virus that destroyed much of his brain. The doctor’s didn’t think he would raise his head, but he did. The doctors didn’t think he would sit up, but he did. The doctors didn’t think he would crawl, but he did. The doctors and the therapists could not imagine that he would stand. But stand he did and now… now he walks on his own. Sure, he is still deaf. He still can’t communicate and he still needs to be fed from a tube. But spend a few minutes with him. You’ll see a brightness in his eyes. You’ll see the wheels turning. You will also see a smile that stretches from ear to ear. You will also experience unconditional love and unending joy. Oh, he might get excited and play a little rough but he’s not out to hurt anyone. He’s just expressing himself in the only way he knows. And there’s the quiet moments when he lays his head gently on your shoulder or when he presses his chin firmly into your cheek. To Grandpa, that means, “I love you.” That’s his way of “kissing” me. And I put my lips gently on the back of his head and hum a little tune. I’m certain he feels the vibrations and knows that Grandpa is saying, “I love you too.” His mom has a bunch of alphabet letters on her refrigerator. One group spells out, “I believe Aaron can fly.” With her support and his drive, I think Mr. Aaron believes he can fly too.
From Amanda’s cousin/best friend:
Aaron we knew was always special. He has a laugh that makes the world laugh with him, his smile lights up the room and his cries break even the hardest of hearts. Aaron has many issues that stem from one major cause. Cytomegalovirus also known as CMV. His brain has slowly been eaten away by this virus, we are constantly finding another health issue arise one after the other after the other. Aaron is deaf so there’s an implant that helps him hear, and when he does sound just flows out of his mouth. We were told Aaron would never walk and there were times where I questioned if we could defy doctors. Then one day he did. He could always crawl really fast. When he plays with kids he loves chasing them because he can crawl as fast if not faster than they can run! Aaron continues to defy doctors. If they say he won’t it’s almost like he turns around and tells them “watch me”. Aaron still carries the virus, so at times people treat him differently like he IS the disease. Aaron is not the disease. He is the victim, but you know what, I’m wrong. He’s not a victim. He is triumphant, he is amazing and he is awe inspiring. To be like him would be the closest I will ever come to being Christ like. Aaron is amazing!
Aaron and Amanda I LOVE YOU!
