Love, light & challenge #1

Brad Lee Beck: (The love, light & challenge) of our life.  He was born in Pocatello, ID November 23, 1970.  Our Dr. told us not to 'get to attached' as he would not live more than 2 years. He had Downe's syndrome.  But he seemed so normal, and was so cuddly.  He didn't sleep at night very much.  As I held him, he would press his little head against my shoulder or cheek, it seemed to make him feel better.  To me he seemed so normal. I was always comparing him to the other babies.  The day came when I had to admit to myself he was not like them.  He never pushed his feet in my lap, or bounced as others did.  I was serving on the St. Relief Society board.  Every time we were together, one of the sisters would urge me to take him to a chiropractor.  I had only heard negative comments about such Dr.s & so I resisted.  Finally she said to me one day 'what do you have to lose?', and suggested a Dr. she felt I could trust.  He was a member of our church, went every Friday p.m. to the temple, and he was blind.  So at the age of 16 months we had our 1st experience with a chiropractor.  Dr.N came in to the room & had me lay Brad on the table, he sat and took Brad's head in his hands and started feeling his head etc. He made a few pushes or pulls, but Brad never made a sound.  He signed us up to return the following week and we went home.  That night Brad slept in his own bed the whole night & the next night the same.  Then 5 nights in the chair.  Second visit went pretty much the same as the week before.  Again Brad slept the night thru, & the next 4 nights in a row.  3rd visit went the same.  As I was bundling Brad up to leave, Dr. stuck his head in the door: "I meant to ask, "How is he sleeping"?  That was break-down time for Mom.  "How did you know he wasn't?"  "He couldn't, too much pressure in his head".  Apparently it is normal for the two sides of the head to overlap 'til through the birth canal then the big gulp of air separates the overlap, but not in Brad's case.
  The next challenge was the legs.  He had never pushed them against me.  As a family  br's/sis would each take a limb and another would lift his tummy off the floor and hold him up with a towel. It was a great family project, but not very successful.  Dr. N reported finally that the hips were in place and he thought we would see him trying to walk.  One day, sitting in front of the TV he started to get to his feet.He looked like a tripod, hands on the floor in front and legs spread wide.  He fell of course.  I took him to the couch and stood him there.  He almost took off running; And then there was playing basketball, running in Special Olympics.  Go Brad Go. Have to add a P.S. to the story. The last time we saw Dr. Nelson was in April, 2008. Brad chose to go with his sister when 'I' went to see 'our' Doc. He said to tell Brad that when he was ready to go home he (Dr.N) would be there to greet him with two horses. "We're going horse-back riding".