Giving back

I am a big believer of what you put out into the world is what comes back to you. Sometimes this works in reverse. I have been fortunate enough to have several people in my life give me endless support, love, kindness, and generosity. Upon reflection, I realize that I am definitely in debt to the world (and those people) and that I owe a bunch of giving. Instead of feeling that "I must have done some good to deserve all of this support and love" (or that it was owed to me somehow), I now know that I must constantly do my part to put out as much good energy and help to others as I can.
About a year ago, I had a referral from one of my long time clients to work with a 6 year old girl who had undergone a Hemispherectomy as a baby to correct severe seizures. This is a surgical procedure where one cerebral hemisphere (half of the brain) is removed or disabled. This rendered the left side of her body almost paralyzed (hemiplegia). She has learned to walk quite well, but has no functional use of her left hand and her left leg has very little strength and mobility.
The first time I worked with Sruthy I was immediately won over by her infectious smile and amazing spirit. I was not 'hired' to be her physical therapist, but it was understood that I would utilize my martial arts background to help her move better, improve balance and coordination, increase strength, and work on fine and gross motor skills. At first this seemed like an insurmountable task and I could take nothing for granted...there was so much she couldn't do. I had to be creative and it was a huge learning curve for me as I had very little understanding of what she could and couldn't do until we tried it.
I worked on lots of exercises with her that required a good base and from there we could start doing basic kicks which tested her ability to balance and come back to a solid base. She loved kicking the paddle and the noise she could make when she connected with it. We also spent lots of time strengthening her core, which I felt would give her good balance and stabilization. It would enable her work confidently from a solid base. She was unable to set up a prone position because her left hand and arm would not support her weight so we had to rely solely on core exercises from a supine position. I would support her feet and help her with her sit-ups by pulling her up by her hands. After 10 assisted sit-ups, I would encourage her to try 5 more all by herself. She had very little movement from the ground and our efforts almost seemed futile. Still, each time I told her that one day she would be able to do a sit-up all by herself. One Friday, it happened! Of course, I had to excuse myself and hurry to the bathroom where the tears of joy slid down my face. When I came back out, Sruthy had this look on her face like "no biggie, I just did a sit-up...you said I would one day"! She proceeded to do 9 more. We had reached our first milestone and it turned out to be one of many.
Week by week, I see how Sruthy moves more smoothly, jumps higher, stabilizes better, kicks harder, and takes chances trying new things that would have been impossible a year ago. What sets her apart from others is her sense of humor, her work ethic (she never gives up), and her genuine love for life. I am so lucky to be working with her and it is definitely my favorite half-hour of the week. I am happy to donate my time to Sruthy because maybe our work together will help her lead a more physically independant life.
Giving back feels amazing!
Emma Lynds