“Oh no! What happened to his leg?”

This question, this scenario, the attention that would be brought to his leg. All of this was the single most thing I feared last fall when we first got the CP diagnosis. How would I handle it? How would I teach Elliott about what he has? How would I field these questions and either navigate how to brush it off like it’s no big deal, or own it with pride, or a mix of both, or neither? There is no rule book for this and I don’t know the best way to handle it.

All of these thoughts paralyzed me.

Within the first 24 hours of Elliott getting his cast, we were asked that question, twice. It was the moment where the rubber meets the road and I had to figure out how I was going to handle this situation.

“He has Cerebral Palsy and this cast helps to get his foot in the right position before he gets a brace.”

I decided to go with the famous motto of Dwight Schrute from The Office:

K.I.S.S. — Keep It Simple Stupid

What I am realizing is that confidence starts with us. If I can own his Cerebral Palsy diagnosis, then he will learn that he can too. If I can teach him that this is a condition he has, but in no way needs to slow him down or define him, then why would he grow up thinking differently?

One night when I was lying in bed I was thinking of ways that I could teach this truth to Elliott and this is the best comparison I could come up with…

Some kids have good vision and some kids have bad. Some need glasses, some need contacts, and some don’t need anything at all. Having poor eye sight doesn’t change who a person is or what they can accomplish. Having glasses vs. not having glasses doesn’t make anyone different.

This is the same with Cerebral Palsy.

Some people have braces on one leg, both legs, walkers or wheelchairs. All cases look different. Having a brace vs. not having a brace doesn’t make anyone different.

The bottom line, is that it doesn’t matter. A leg brace does not need to be any different than wearing glasses. Ultimately they help us be the best version of ourselves and it is just part of what makes us unique.

It’s simple, it’s honest and it’s something that I can live by and therefore teach my son to live by, too.

As he learns how to navigate this diagnosis on his own, one of my biggest prayers is that when he is asked the question,

“What happened to your leg?” or,

“Why do you have a brace?” He will simply and confidently be able to say that he has Cerebral Palsy and let it be just that.

There is no need to feel shame, guilt or embarrassment by the fact that he may be ‘different.’ Everyone has their differences and as a 32 year old adult, I am being reminded once again of that simple truth through my powerhouse, badass kid.

He has a cast to help him with his Cerebral Palsy– that is what happened to his leg.

K.I.S.S.