When you first hear the words “your son has cerebral palsy”, you don’t think about many things other than what will his life be like. The fact that he survived his premature birth and finally made it home after four long months should’ve been an indication that he’d be just fine.
Fast forward six years. Peter’s in grade 1. He reads at a grade 2 level. He uses a walker to get around and is able to take some independent steps. He’s a genius when it comes to building with Lego. He has an infectious smile and catches the heart of all who meet him. And now, he’s skiing.
We were excited to find out about the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing. Unfortunately, we were told we were too late for the 2011-2012 ski season. Registration began in August. August! Who thinks about skiing in August? Luckily for us, a parent cancelled the night before the first session, and we of course jumped at the chance and accepted the spot. Finally a program that was aware of how to deal with children with disabilities and how to best accommodate their specific needs. We weren’t going to have to try to figure out how to make things work for a change. For eight weeks, Peter had three or four volunteers focused on him for an hour and a half, supporting him as he skied down the hill. He loved going up the lift and racing back down – Fast! He learned the rules of the hill and he’s still working on convincing his instructors that they should let him do stunts.
One day he asked how old he had to be to be a part of Team Horseshoe – the ski team at Horseshoe Valley where he’s been taking ski lessons. Peter doesn’t see himself as a kid with CP, he’s just a kid, who wants to do what other kids do. As a parent, it’s our job to help him do just that. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find the programs or supports to let him be a kid. Often we have to make do with private lessons, or hire a mediator to help him out so that mom or dad aren’t always stepping in to support him. No one else’s parent is there now are they? The CADS program has helped to fulfill Peter’s wish to learn to ski. We’re already looking forward to next ski season. Apparently skiers don’t think about skiing in August – they think about it as the current season is coming to a close.
Thanks, Heather, for this wonderful post, and we’ll look forward to seeing photos of Peter doing stunts next year. To learn more about this program, visit the CADS website.
