The Story... told by the pictures

Photos of Braylon taken at 3 & 4 months old.

(above)

Photos taken at 1 -2 months old.

(below)

Going thru an old computer my husband found a bunch of photos from when Braylon was first born. He walked into our room at 12:45 a.m. wondering if I was still awake. Barely, but enough to listen to what he had to say. He began to tell me how he came across photos of Braylon and after looking at them he began noticing something we haven't seen in a long time. In all of the pictures Braylon's left arm and hand were stretch out, looking very similar to his right hand. Pictures of B putting weight on his left arm at only a few weeks old... a task he can no longer do at 21 months old. My husband continued telling me how he was sick to his stomach with the thought that Braylon had a chance to live a normal life. A life without all the appointments with therapists. A life where you buy shoes and clothes that fit you, not your AFO brace and splint.

My mind wonders on occasion... trying to figure out what really happened to Braylon and if I could have stopped it or at the very least made it less severe. I still have no definate answer to what caused B's stroke. Doctors have only given us his diagnosis, never a cause. Thru my own research I have come to assume Braylon's stroke may have been caused by a vaccine or the amount of vaccines given at one time. Looking back at the pictures I can see the ease B had in both hands and legs. I can see B looking towards the left (which he rarely does now b/c of his vision loss). All of these things occur until B's 3 month old pictures. Shortly after his 2 months vaccines, the pictures tell a different story....a crooked smile and a clinched fist.

Sadness feels my heart to think Braylon had the chance of a "normal" life fillled timely milestones. But oh, God is so Good! My faith in God and the power thats from within Him would never be so needed without that sadness. Without the emotion felt from Braylon's circumstances, I could have gone thru life being "normal" and teaching "normal" thoughts. I know this... for every negative situation there is a positive one of equal (or greater) value. So thru that sadness, I have found the greatest joy. The joy that Jesus Christ is still my savior, that God is still a miracle working God and that if I just have faith God will always be there.