miércoles, 27 de mayo de 2009

WHAT DO I TELL MY SON ABOUT HIS CONDITION?

By Lourdes Andino Alicea mother of Héctor Gadiel Ramos Andino

My son, Héctor Gadiel Ramos, was born with Craniosynostosis.

Thank God he feels fine, and now that he is already a 14-year-old adolescent, he says he feels at peace. We live in a housing project in Río Piedras and the children here tend to be very cruel. Because Hector’s head is slightly deformed they tease him and call him names. Hector is very intelligent and the things they say to him haven’t affected him.

Every day I tell him that he’s different from other kids, but that he’s fine. I tell him that he’s healthy, he can walk, he can eat, that he has all his fingers and toes and that he has his legs. I remind him that there are many people who are worse off and who have had much bigger burdens in life. I tell him all the time that he has to get on with his studies and with his life. I also make him understand that he shouldn’t feel inferior because of this condition, because inside he is just like all the other children.

A short while ago a psychologist evaluated Hector and she told me that his self-esteem was very good and that the results place him at the level of intelligence of a 16 year old. This makes me feel extremely proud of him, because it means he has been able to overcome his condition and that the things I have told him to improve his self-esteem have worked.

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