Helping Hand- A Family Faces Cerebral Palsy

My mom once told me about the moment she found out about my having cerebral palsy. She said that the doctor came in and said, “I am sorry to tell you that you son has tested positive for CP.” My parents’ first question was, “What is CP?” After he told them, the doctor said that the good news was that I tested on the low side of severity.

My parents’ next question was what should be their next step.  The doctor suggested getting me into a therapy program as soon as possible, which is what they did. So, for the next five years, I went to a program called Helping Hands twice a week. My preschool years were aided by the efforts of this program, but I was reaching the end of their age limit of five years.  My parents didn’t know where to take me next. They were trying to get me into programs, but no one had accepted me yet.

At that time, my mother was working at a liquor store.  Being the person that my mother is, she would talk to the people who came in. One of these people was a woman who, over the years, had asked about me. When my mother told her about the trouble that they were having getting me into a therapeutic program, this woman said that her husband was a Shriner.  She offered to go home and ask him to sponsor me to the Shriner’s Children Hospital.

The next time that the woman cam into the store, she came with the paper work.  Soon after, I was accepted and recieved treatment from them free of cost from the age of six to the age of seventeen.  I never met this woman.  I so wish that I could just say “thank you” for giving me a helping hand when I needed it.

Brian J. Lorz is a young adult who is employed by Jewel Foods. He is a member of the Oak Lawn Writer’s Group where he is a regular contributer with his continually expanding genre of writing.

We never know when we will meet “angels unaware”. The woman in this account, her husband and the Shriners are all heroes to the Lorz family and the other people helped by the Shriners’ Hospitals all across America.  Hats off to all. If you have had a similar experience, I would love to read about it. [email protected]