Annabelle Unbroken

     This month is October and it’s Spina Bifida Awareness month. I got my diagnosis from a test that they did on my mommy before having me.  Spina bifida is a birth defect which means my spinal cord did not develop properly. It means I had to have my spinal cord closed by  surgery. It occured when I was being made in my mommys tummy. 

      The treatment is/ was surgery to close the defect which I had done when I was very little so now it looks like a Tattoo which I call ALL my scars on my body my God tattoos because they are evidence and proof of the goodness that he’s been to me all my life and the things he’s brought me through. The simple definition for my condtion is a birth defect where my spinal column didn’t close all the way during my mommas pregnancy, leading to damage of my spinal cord and nerves. My parents did NONE OF THIS. It’s how God made me and I don’t want a another life. I love this testimony God gave me and my family to walk alongside me. 

      You maybe wondering what it is?  so let me tell you The literal definition is split spine its a neural tube defect that occurs when the spinal colum fails to close fully during my moms early pregnacy. The next question your wondering I bet so let me tell you and that question is what does it do? it affects my mobility which means I can’t walk I am fully dependent on my wheelchair and people to carry me. I can move from the waist up but the waist down I can not move thats why I have my wheelchair and a lot people come up to me and say do you sleep in your wheelchair? The answer is no I sleep in a bed room close by my paremts so they can montitor me in the night and while I sleep they have to get up every few hours and help me turn over because I can not because of my rods and also they have to check on me.  And you maybe asking How do I dress myself? My parents have to help me put on my pants and sometimes they have to help me put on my tops it just depends how I am feeling or what I am sitting on to help my back be stable and straight.