Before Ellie’s diagnosis at age 2, she and Timmy were pretty
evenly paced with all things physical.
He crawled a week before her, he walked 2 weeks before her but she
quickly caught up each time. After
her diagnosis and during her entire 2 ½ year treatment her muscles were weak and most of the time she could not physically keep up with him. One of the things she longed to do was jump. I have vivid memories of her trying to jump in place as a 2
½ year old and giving me a big smile each time she tried, and all she could do
was raise on to her toes meanwhile Timmy was jumping over everything. As is Ellie’s way it never seemed to
her phase her that she couldn’t do it, she just kept trying.
A couple of weeks ago I stopped by their school at lunch to
drop something off, and after the initial excitement of seeing me at school,
she grabbed my hand and took me over to where the other kids were playing jump
rope. She wanted to show me she
could jump rope too. She stood in
line and watched the other kids, many who could do multiple jumps in a
row. When it was her turn she
looked at me with a smile as she made it over the jump rope one time and then
promptly walked to the back of the line so she could try again next time to
make it “two jumps” as she told me.
We are at a wonderful new school where most people don’t
know her story or what she has been through, so to see her jumping rope with
the other kids is really nothing special, but for me on that afternoon it
warmed my heart to watch her. Life
“off treatment” is truly wonderful.
Anytime I start to feel like the weekly grind of school, lunches,
homework is getting old, I stop and remember what it was like just a short time
ago. We are so lucky to be here
with her now. We are approaching
Ellie’s one-year off treatment date at the end of October and we are filled
with gratitude. I will leave you
with a picture snapped just this morning as we left for school, while of course
I’m biased, I think her smile never gets old. El-Belle keep on smiling and jumping rope!
- Polly
