David was born February 7, 1978. His love of life was so profound that his eyes sparkled and radiated joy. His laughter was contagious -- anyone who heard him was compelled to join in. His laugh was pure music to the ears. It is crazy to think that he never heard laughter himself. He had a great sense of humor and sometimes even laughed for no apparent reason, his mother always said he was laughing at angels. He found joy in everything, and had the most beautiful smile. He was a constant reminder to his parents and 7 siblings to be grateful for what they had.
David was born with cytomegalovirus, which caused extreme brain damage including deafness and partial blindness. As a toddler he worked hard to gain use of his body. He learned to roll over at the age of two, which delighted him to no end. After months of therapy he learned to use the weight and position of his head to turn himself over. It would take his complete focus and great effort and when he accomplished his goal he would crack up laughing.
It was around this age that David’s deafness was discovered. He was so visually alert his family was shocked to find that he was totally deaf. Due to his severe loss of motor control, he was never able to practice sign language or use a communication system. Shortly after David learned to roll over his parents began researching a technique called patterning. The idea was to retrain the brain by moving the body. The goal was to teach David to crawl. Several volunteers would come to the house four times a day. David was put up on a padded table, and his body was moved through the range of motion required for crawling.
Within six months David was attempting to crawl. He couldn’t get his stomach off the ground but he could twist and turn his head and kick one leg and move one arm. At this same time, his baby sister Hannah was learning to crawl ,and although David couldn’t keep up with her, she was great motivation! As David improved his new skill, one of his favorite pass times was chasing his brothers and sisters around the house. To him it was a game of tag, when he would catch up to someone he would beam with the satisfaction of the winner and then it would be time to turn around and chase them the other direction.
David loved babies, before his younger siblings learned to crawl they were a captive audience and David loved watching over them., His 3 younger sisters and brother were privileged to have an adoring older brother keeping them company. David was the security blanket for his sister Sarah who was two years older. She couldn’t go to sleep without her fingers or toes in his hair. David’s two older brothers were always watching out for him. As David’s siblings grew up, they all took part in David’s care.
Feeding David was a task his siblings never quite mastered. David’s ability to eat was limited. He couldn’t chew and had a hard time swallowing. His primary nutrition was a high protein drink. He had to be held in a particular position with one hand around his mouth and chin. The drink had to be poured with perfect timing to coincide with swallowing. Often, after an attempt by a sibling to feed David, he would have a large mischievous smile on his face and a very wet shirt.
David had extreme contractures of his muscles. He had several surgeries to release the tension in his tendons. The goal was to make him more mobile and prevent his hips from being forced from their sockets. For a few years it appeared that the surgeries had been helpful. Then his right hip dislocated. By this time it was obvious David would never be able to walk and the decision was made to release the femur from the hip by shortening it. David would spend several weeks in traction and never recover his mobility.
When his right leg was detached from his hip the weight on his pelvis was no longer in balance. His mother believed this was the reason why with in a short time David’s scoliosis digressed drastically. Another surgery, this time for his back, was recommended. At this point David’s health was failing. He had chronic bronchitis and chocked easily when fed. His parents declined the option for surgery. They investigated the possibility of having a feeding tub placed in David’s stomach but were told his stomach was too high in his rib cage.
David continued to struggle with his health. But even with all his physical problems, his bright smile and sparking eyes never diminished. David did not complain about anything. David’s bed was always in the center of the living room because he loved action and was content as long as he could see what was going on.
David continued to loose weight and a second opinion was sought regarding a feeding tub. Due to David’s frail condition, a decision was made to attempt the procedure. It was successful and during the following year David gained 15 pounds.
David loved to travel, mainly because he had the family gathered around him. For the first 15 minutes of a trip he would express his delight so loudly that many of his brothers and sisters would plug their ears. He was a real people person and found joy simply by having company. He would gaze at you with a look that spoke volumes. David didn’t have any expectations, he lived his life enjoying the moment he was in. He was the champion of finding joy in what he had.
David passed May 21, 2008 at the age of 30. The light and love he shared during those years continues to inspire his family. The power of this inspiration will continue to shed love and light throughout the world as we pursue our goal to help underprivileged disabled people around the world. Will you please join us in this privilege?