Doctor Alora

Meet Dr. Alora, my little friend with Spina Bifida. Her grandparents spend a lot of their time being her caregiver.

Were they prepared for caregiving? Nope. They were like a lot of us. One day someone pounded on the door of our hearts to say, “Did you sign up for a 24/7 position?” In a state of surprise we blink, catch our breath and say, “I don’t think so. It doesn’t fit my schedule.”

In haste you slam the door only to hear, “Sorry. Schedules disappear in the maze of the caregivers world.” Before you can say “No thanks again,” the need is thrust upon you—doesn’t matter whether it’s cancer, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue. It doesn’t matter whether it’s mother, father, wife, husband or even a grandchild.

In the summer of 2002 I stood near a friend when he received a phone call. “The doctor says the baby has Spina Bifida.” I didn’t hear what Bob’s wife said, but I watched his face when he received the news. I knew whatever Jan reported about their grandchild wasn’t good news.

When he hung up, a plethora of questions surfaced. Would she live? Would she walk? What can we do now, before birth? Before we did anything else, we stopped to pray for the mother and child.

I recalled that one my piano students suffered with Spina Bifida. He was a smart youngster with a sharp wit. I knew he struggled with crutches and bed sores, but I knew little else about his problems.

When we made calls to ask others to pray several said, “Maybe the doctor is wrong.” Unfortunately, the doctor diagnosed the problem correctly and Alora was born with Spina Bifida.

Doctor Alora is a delight to her grandparents, her caregivers while her Mom works. Like my piano student all those years ago, Alora is one sharp cookie with a delightful sense of humor determined to make a difference in her world—who knows, she just may be a real MD one day.

Survival Tidbits:

♥ First, don’t panic! “When you receive the news, the doctors will give you the worst case scenario. Don’t buy the lie,” Grandma Jan says. “We were told Alora would never walk, may have kidney problems and she faced the possibility of brain damage.”
♥ You can’t plan for care giving in advance. “You jump in and do the necessary. You’re running with both feet on the road.”
♥ Remember above all, you can do more than you think you can. “God promised He wouldn’t give us more than we can handle,” Jan said. “Two years ago I felt certain I couldn’t handle anymore. We had Alora for many hours in a week and we care for both our elderly parents. Well guess what? I’m still here. We are still care giving and today I have more peace than ever before.”