Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Boy Who Will Not Fail....

No matter how many hurdles this kid jumps, no matter how many obstacles are placed in his way, no matter how many times he it told "there is no cure", no matter how many walls he has to break through, no matter how many life changes, teasing, humiliation, and newly forced upon ways of living are thrown at him, this kid will prevail.

His vocabulary does not nor ever has included the word "failure".

This is our Bear. Perseverer of all things seemingly impossible.

Kody 012

Twenty one months ago Kody's voice started to slowly but surely leave us. Every month that clicked by it got worse and worse.
These past six months or so have been heartbreaking. Dr. after Dr. could not tell us why he was losing the ability to talk.
That is until we found Dr. Barr, Kody's new neurologist in Orlando.
After researching for months and after taking Kody to specialist after specialist he was officially diagnosed with "Spasmodic Dysphonia", a condition in which the vocal cords do not work properly. There is no cure, only temporary treatments of Botox to the vocal cord muscle.
Speech therapy was an option...it would not bring his voice back but it would help him learn to breath, relax, try again.
We brought him week after week for his therapy only to have it not work.
It was heartbreaking for not only Kody, but for us, his family and for his therapist as well who tried so hard to help this teenager fit in with his peers.

Last month Kody had started using the sign language that we had been practicing. His voice was 99.9% gone and signing helped him get his point across.
Trust me, when he was pissed or upset, some signs were alot more graphic then others. Hey...just trying to keep it real here. LOL!

Bear lost his desire to smile and that was obvious by most of his recent photos.
He had the ability to smile...but his spark was slowly but surely being extinguished by that damn disease that was virtually unheard of in children.
We {his Dr's and us} searched and begged specialists from all over Florida and other states to take him on as a patient and treat him but to no avail. There was not a Dr. out there who was willing to inject this child's vocal cord muscle. Too much of a liability, we were told.

While some people lost hope...we never did. How could we? Bear had already beaten so many odds it didn't seem right to quit now.
So, we did the only thing we could..we prayed and we prayed and we prayed everyday, many times a day.
Kody's voice was not in our hands anymore...we had to turn our son over, once again, to our God.

While most Mom's from all over the world celebrated Mother's Day with cards, flowers, and hugs we also celebrated by visiting Kayara and Adriana in Cape Coral.
It was an awesome day...but I had no clue as to how much more awesome that day would become.

My friends and family...
Mother's Day 2009 will always hold a very special meaning for me.
It was on that day that, sometime in the late afternoon while Kayara and I prepared dinner for our families and the noise of our combined families chatting, playing, TV running, video games playing, that Kaysha spoke up and said "Has anyone noticed Kody's voice is back?"
Yes..you heard that right and just like that we were given another awesome gift.

Kody has his beautiful boyish voice back again.
He can talk, he can sing {though much like me and believe me, we will never be American Idol material!}, he can speak clearly, he can say "I love you Mom" and those are four priceless words that I thought I would never hear again from my Bear.

Once again, after twenty one long months of worry, frustration, sadness, and anger...our Bear is back and better then ever.
Next Friday he will graduate the 7th grade.
He will take off for another week of Camp Boggy Creek.
He talks for hours on the phone with his new g-friend, Ashley.
He sings in the shower, in the car, plugged into his radio, just about anywhere. He doesn't even need music..he just sings and he smiles and best of all...
Kody laughs.

What more could a Mom ask for?
Nothing...absolutely nothing. :0)

Have a beautiful day everyone and for Kody....sing today. It doesn't matter how you sing, or where you sing, or what you sing...just sing.
Voices are beautiful and Bear is definitely proof of that.

Love, Kim

18 comments:

Leeann said...

How freaking amazing is that?
He is a walking, TALKING miracle!

Anonymous said...

That's awesome Kim. Did the doctors say why his voice came back or is a mystery?

Jessie in WA

Ness said...

Kim, I was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia right before my thyroid cancer. I have some voice but it tires easily and my throat actually gets sore if I talk very much.

Kody showed me how to live with my thyroid cancer by his spirit and attitude that cancer will not win. He is once again showing me that life is good, that miracles do happen and you just take it one moment at a time.

Congrats to Kody on getting his voice back...God knows he needed it as a teenager to woo those girls!

God bless you Kim, you are one awesome mother. You just roll with the punches.

Shiela said...

Kody, my man, you will NEVER, EVER, cease to amaze me! Your mom's post today made my day! I am so happy for you! I sure hope that your voice stays, and for whatever reason it came back, it sure is a gift!!! I can't wait to hear what the new doc says!!!

HAVE AN AWESOME DAY, and thanks, Kim, for the great news. And on Mother's Day, no less.... :)

Love,
Shiela in NY

lost indie said...

Wow. Just wow...no WOW!!!!!

That is the coolest thing ever.

It just came back on it's own? What are the odds of that?

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Awesome, awesome post Kim. I love it. Kody rocks.

Hallie

Dot O said...

There is no gift better than what you got on Mother's Day. God is awesome....

Anonymous said...

Kim, I never comment, I know I know...bad me! I had to comment on this though! PRAISE GOD! That is amazing, wonderful, fantastic news! I am so happy for Bear and for your family! Praise God!
~Joleen

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful miracle. I'll keep praying for him.

Margie Miller

Jane Photo said...

Awww, that's such a great story. Good on Bear, and congrats to all of you. What a relief. I'm sorry your son has such a hard go of it. I'll be thinking of him...

Ashki said...

Praise GOD, Mama :).

Cheyenne said...

Why didn't you warn me I would need Kleenex? First came the goosebumps, then the tears. That is the most wonderful news I have heard in a long time. Prayer is a wonderful thing. God bless you and your entire family.

Stacy said...

I came over from ILP, and have read Kody's updates from the past. This brought tears to my eyes. This is such heartwarming news and definitely shows the power of prayer. Your family is so blessed.

Anonymous said...

Great NEWS Kody! You are simply amazing!!! WE are jumping up and down with happiness over this - but then again you always pull through no matter what is thrown at you.

Love to our "K" family -
The Muller's
Steve, Patty, Elvis, Princess & Priscilla xoxo

Jenner said...

Yippeeee! Kody, you are one amazing young man! I've got tears of joy running down my face. Praise God!
Jen from WI

Anonymous said...

Awesome News Kim! This is so wonderful. Kody is the official Energizer Bunny! Just keeps on truckin along! You go Bear!!

Hugs,
--Andrea

Leece said...

Oh Wow, that is incredible. Big Hugs Bear Family. Wonder what explanation the doctors will come back with. Wonder if he just had the mother of all teenage-voice-breaking experiences. Whatever. Praises, praises

USMCwifeAMY said...

This is AMAZING news! I've been a follower of Kody's story for many years...maybe 5? SO glad to hear his voice is back!

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