I still remember walking into the NICU when I was a young girl to see my brother for the first time. I remember that his skin was this purply silver color, and the box he was in. Some of my memories from that time are faded, but I still remember that day. I don't quite remember when he finally came home, but I know it was several months after he came into this world.
I remember going to the conventions several years later that helped him to learn how to read braille and build his cane skills. I also remember going to his speech therapy watching him through a two-way mirror. And I will always remember that the first word he uttered was K.K, the name that we used around him to refer to me.
My brother has several disabilities, the primary one is he is legally blind.
While he can see some in one eye, the other has no sight. He also does has some developmental delays and other physical disabilities. My brother has beaten so many odds growing up. We were told he would never do so many things, but here he is, at 18, doing everything he was told he would not be able to do. He may have taken longer to do things that other kids his age would be able to do, but he reached those milestones on his own accord.
He has done horseback riding, cheerleading, and now he plays baseball with the Moody Miracle League with many other players. He talks nonstop and is always surprising us with the things he says. He has an extremely sharp mouth and no filter. His willingness to talk to everyone and anybody is amazing, but you better be ready to play 20 questions about the car you drive, your lawnmower and everything about your daily life.
With all of that, he will remember EVERYTHING you tell him, so be careful what you say. He still brings up times where I apparently cried or got mad that I do not even remember. He knows everyone's doctors, their cars, the last time they took their car to the car wash, window issues, last time you had an accident of any kind, everything. His memory is something I wish I had on exam days.
My younger brother is my inspiration, my role model.
The odds he has faced and overcame is astounding. The overwhelming love and acceptance he shows to everyone are what I strive for in my life. His accomplishments keep inspiring me to keep going after my dreams no matter what the challenge is. He perseveres and is able to accomplish what he needs, sometimes not even realizing it.
As much as I am his extra pair of eyes, he is my rock. Despite our normal sibling tendencies (yes, we still fight), we are always there for each other. Always Facetiming and keeping him updated on how college is going. He helps me keep going and moving forward with no idea he is doing that for me. I am proud of my brother and I know he is proud of me.
