Lawson

On August 12th, 2017, Lawson came into this world fast and furious. He was expected to be a perfectly healthy baby, but when he was delivered there was obviously something not right. On August 16th, he was diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. In other words, he was diagnosed with a severe brain injury due to the lack of oxygen his brain received while in utero. In his case, the doctors do not have an explanation for this. Lawson spent 3 weeks in the NICU. The doctors sent him home with poor expectations of him developmentally, unsure if he will ever walk or talk. We are now currently dealing with Lawson’s secondary diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.

March is Cerebral Palsy awareness month! Having knowledge is a form of inclusion, so please educate yourself!

Cerebral Palsy is caused by a brain injury that occurs in the first 2-3 years of a child’s life. For Lawson, his CP was caused by hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In other words, oxygen was cut off to Lawson’s brain in utero resulting in a global brain injury. CP is a physical disability that affects movement and posture.

Here are some common side effects associated with CP — and I am putting an asterisk by the ones specifically affecting my sweet Lawson.

unable to walk*
intellectual impairment*
unable to talk*
severe visual impairment*
pain bladder control symptoms*
epilepsy (seizures)*
sleep disorders*
behavioral disorders saliva control problems*

A life full of challenges, but most importantly full of LOVE! None of these children have the exact same story, and that’s what makes them so, so special. The official Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day falls today, on March 25th. But also, World Cerebral Palsy day is in October. I’ll take both as just more reasons to spread awareness and hope! Lawson has cerebral palsy, but cerebral palsy does not have him!

To learn more about Lawson, follow along @hannahcagle2013 on Instagram and Lawson’s Mustard Seed on Facebook! You can also check out Hannah’s blog, Lawson’s Mustard Seed, here!