We are the Temporarily Able-Bodied
What do you see when you look at a patient? You will probably never see a child in the same way as a parent, who knows the child that was as well as the child that is. But will you see a collection of symptoms or a person disabled by illness? A walking dead man or someone imbued with God’s greatest gift, the spark of life? This is a very critical issue.
In an email to me, a parent expressed this problem in a very moving way:
I remember when I was getting my teaching certificate in Special Education. One of my favorite professors told our class that we are the temporarily able bodied. She said that an accident, or traumatic brain injury, could leave us in the population of persons with disabilities. I really thought about it. I watched beautiful Sara go from a child who was gifted physically and intellectually, to a child who lost one neurological function after another, and understood completely what that wise professor's words meant. I never thought I would witness this with someone who meant the world to me. This kind of unfortunate thing could happen to anyone, and the importance of continuing to see and respect each person no matter what was sadly impressed on me too well. — Cathy Hackett
The following articles explore this theme more completely: