Curious Child

[Thursdaynext]

Last week during Gabriel's Tae kwon do class a child from the next class came in early. I'd say he was around 8-10 years in age. He came up to Hannah and me bubbling with questions. I personally love this. I always answer truthfully and completely. His mother and I, after the first three questions, exchanged reassuring glances making sure we were all OK with what was happening. She smiled back attending to his little sister who had been playing with Hannah's wheelchair.

"What is that?" He pointed at Hannah's Passe Muir.

"That is a tube to help her breath."

"How does that help her breath?"

I smiled "That tube goes directly to her Trachea which is closer to the lungs then her nose and mouth so it is easier and takes less energy to breath."

"Oh, why does she need help breathing?"

I loved how logically his questions fell. "Her right diaphragm was transparent. Instead of being muscular, it was a clear membrane that didn't contract to help with breathing?"

"Will her left diaphragm be enough to help..." he started stumbling for words here.

I got the gist. "Actually, she has had surgery to repair her right diaphragm. It has been pleated like a skirt. She will out grow the trach tube."

"She had surgery? She is so little."

"Actually, she has had eight surgeries."

"How old is she?"

"Three"

By the end of Gabriel's class the boy was trying to play with Hannah and get his little sister to play with her. His little sister was more interested in Hannah's wheelchair. Hannah glowed in the attention.

She loves watching Gabriel's class and screaming when they KIA.