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First day back at United Cerebral Palsy after the holidays. We went onto the playground where Harley was met by 15 screaming pre-schoolers running at her. I got a few hugs, but Harley got more. As we walked toward the back of the playground, I heard my name being called. I looked up to see one of the teachers hanging on to Destiny and with a smile that lit up her face, she called, “Ms Sharon, this child climbed my leg to get over to Harley. Look at her, she’s trying to run.” And she was. With her little legs that don’t follow directions from her brain, she was doing her best to get to Harley. Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched her point and smile as she said, “Harley” in her soft little voice. We went immediately to her and she transferred her grasp to my leg. I asked if she wanted to walk Harley and she gave me her signature reply—“Yep!”
We walked around the playground while I fended off other admirers, anxious to have their turn. There were so many people talking at once that it took me awhile to note the tapping on my left leg. I looked down to find one of the twins (both of which alternate between hesitation and all out fear toward Harley). She pulled on my pant leg and pointed with her other hand while saying “Harley”. “Did I hear her say ‘Harley’?” asked a stunned teacher. I nodded. “She doesn’t talk. Are you sure she said Harley?” I kneeled down and put my arm around the twin as I asked her, “Who is it you want to see?” “Harley,” came the reply. The teacher ran from the playground, calling back to me, “I’m going to tell her mama!” Needless to say, I let the child be the next one to walk Harley.
We went in to do physical therapy with Alex and were greeted by sounds of a crying baby before we entered the room. As we went inside, I saw it was Alex. Harley went to him as he cried while Becky gently exercised his legs and told him she knew it hurt, but they had to loosen his muscles before he could walk. He eyes were shut as he wailed. I leaned over him, and called his name several times. He did not respond. Becky said, “Someone’s here to see you. You better look.” I said, “Ms Sharon’s here; and guess who else?” His eyes opened and he focused on my face, then broke out into a smile. He began turning his head back and forth until he caught sight of Harley. He reached slowly toward her and she approached and licked his hand. She laid beside him while his exercises were finished, then waited while he ‘suited up’ to walk. We walked for quite awhile, then sat and played ball, with Alex rolling the ball to Harley and her pushing it back to him with her nose.
As we were getting settled in the physical therapy room, a man walked in holding a severely crippled little boy about 6 o 7 YOA.
One of the therapists took the little boy from the man, and immediately sat on the floor by Harley. Harley’s attention focused on “Andreas” who is so severe he‘locks’ in a rigor mortis type state (per the therapist). She softly crooned to him, telling him he needed to relax so he could see Harley. His head was ‘locked’ to the side and Harley was out of sight. I moved her within his sight range and he smiled and blew bubbles. The therapist laughed softly and told him once again to relax so he could work with Harley. I asked to take his shoes off and I placed his feet on Harley’s leg as the therapist worked to unlock Andreas’ fingers so he could touch H. As his toes made contact with the dog’s hair, a smile registered on his face and his toes started to work, wiggling over the hair. I then picked up Harley’s tail and swept it across his legs. A smile crossed his lips and he made a small gurgling sound. The therapist was thrilled! Andres’ head and torso were still locked, but after several minutes of toe wiggling and tail brushing, his body relaxed to the point she could sit him up in her lap and turn his head toward us. Harley leaned toward the child and softly licked his claw-shaped hand. In less than a minute, his fingers relaxed and the therapist continued to speak softly to Andreas as she worked his hands and feet over Harley’s body….
…As we worked with another child, the man who had brought Andreas in earlier returned with the boy in his arms. He bent over to retrieve Andreas’ shoes and socks and I apologized, telling him I had removed them so Andreas could feel Harley with his feet. The man smiled broadly, and said, in a halting, broken English, “I know. Sank you poor my son!” Tears welled in my eyes as I thanked him in return and told him it was our honor to work with Andreas.
…As an addendum—Alex’s mother, Ann Marie, was coming into UCP as Harley and I were leaving. She greeted me warmly, then turned to the young woman with her and said, "This is Harley. She is my son's physical therapist"...
PRIDE was visiting with us today, so I took him with Harley to visit the kids at
UCP. Harley left us to circle the room and visit with the three children working
with therapists. Yanni (an eighteen month old cherub with Downs Syndrome and CP)
toddled toward Harley while chattering and clapping her hands, a gesture that
more often than not makes her fall unless she stops moving before clapping.
Megan and I told Becky how Yanni walked around and around the room chasing Harley on our
previous visit and Megan re-iterated that she had never seen Yanni walk so far
without plopping down on her butt. I kept Harley walking around while Yanni ‘chased’
her and Beckie laughed.
Becky told the small child, “You never walk that much for me”
and the little girl chattered some sort of response as the two little pig tails on
the top of her head bounced with each step she took. This movement was of great
interest to PRIDE who attempted to pull one of the hair ties from her head. He
could reach it easily, as he is taller than the diminutive child. As PRIDE grasped
the pig tail in his mouth, Yanni squealed and pushed on the pup. As she plopped
backwards off her feet, PRIDE cocked his head, then walked away from her. Yanni
jabbered something which I am sure was non-complimentary, then resumed her attempt
to catch Harley.Harley would stop when she was 6 or 8 feet ahead of the girl, then
take off again before Yanni got to her. Yanni squealed and jabbered at Harley, who
occasionally cast glances over her shoulder to check the little girls position.
PRIDE, intrigued by the whole new set of people, toys, and children, bounded
around the room picking up various items and acting like a kid in a candy store.
Yanni’s hold over Harley dissipated when Andreas arrived. As the grandfather pushed Andreas’ wheelchair into the room, he spoke to the boy in excited Spanish. Harley approached her friend and the little boy’s face lit up with a smile. The grandfather pointed at the boy, then pointed at Harley, clasped his hands together in front of his chest and pointed upwards as he lifted his eyes heavenward. He repeated the motions while speaking softly and the only word I caught was ‘Dios’ which I know is ‘God.’ He reached toward me and said ‘God bless deees dog and god bless you.’ My throat constricted and my eyes teared up as I told him god blessed me every day. He smiled widely, then leaned over to kiss Harley on the head. He spoke to her as Andreas moved about, trying to touch the dog. Grandfather picked up the boys hand and placed it on the dog’s head. The smile widened as the eyes struggled and the head moved trying to look at Harley. The granddad gently took the boy from the chair and turned him toward the dog. Both hands moved and I called attention to the movement for the grandfather to see. Tears welled in his eyes and he praised the child and kissed him. Wendy took Andreas from him and sat down on the mat with Harley right beside her. Suddenly interested in what Harley was doing, PRIDE rushed over and bathed the boy’s face in kisses as he blinked and tried to escape the sudden attention. We all laughed as I grabbed PRIDE to contain some of the exuberance. Andreas scowled at the pup, then turned his attention back to Harley. The therapists were intrigued that Andreas ignored the bouncing, energetic pup and focused on Harley instead.
Beckie called PRIDE to take part in a game of chasing the ball with the new Dylan. Blond surfer boy locks of hair bounced as the child ran haltingly across the room to beat PRIDE to the ball. Although PRIDE always won the race, the boy would pull the ball from the dog’s mouth and run back across the room. PRIDE good-naturedly relinquished the ball each time, but would follow the running boy with his head inches behind the boy while opening and closing his mouth again and again with no sound and no attempt to reach the boys back. As soon as Dylan would stop, however, PRIDE would grab the back of his shirt and pull him backwards onto his heinie, causing the boy to drop the ball. PRIDE would grab it and run a few steps away. The child would squeal, get back on his feet and chase the dog. After the second time PRIDE pulled him down, the boy spread his feet and braced himself while leaning forward. PRIDE gave an extra yank, then dug his four feet into the mat and pulled backwards like a mule trying to escape being pulled out of a sitting position. ‘Plop’ went Dylan who giggled wildly and tossed the ball aside. PRIDE jumped on it and the game continued. The therapists were captivated with the continuing exchange between the non-verbal child and the dog and we all got our full measure of laughter medicine that morning.
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