Superpowers!

The first diagnosis we heard at the Neonatal Intensive Care and Pathology Clinic in Zabrze was brittle bone disease – osteogenesis imperfecta. I will never forget that name. I won’t lie, we were devastated by this news. Especially since the doctors wouldn’t even let us bathe Antosia ourselves, and from the moment she was admitted, a note reading “handle with care” hung on her bassinet. This only reinforced our belief that the diagnosis was highly realistic and that confirming it was just a matter of time. It was a difficult time for us, yet one of the best periods of my life, because our beautiful, wonderful daughter had just been born. We had waited 9 months for this special moment. One of the best, but at the same time filled with anxiety about what the future would bring and how we would be able to help our Antosia.

Fortunately, this diagnosis was finally ruled out around the 5th day of Antosia’s life. It was an incredible relief. I wanted to share this little piece of happiness with the whole world at once, but instead, I simply called one of our friends, Paweł. I didn’t even manage to finish my sentence because Paweł interrupted me, shouting with incredible euphoria in his voice something like: “Yes! I knew it! I’m telling you, it will turn out she has some kind of superpowers!”

I am writing about this because it was a turning point for me and for how I perceived our situation. That was also when we learned about the existence of a very inspiring woman, Aimee Mullins, and I recalled the story of Oscar Pistorius. Both were born with the same condition as Antosia – bilateral fibular hemimelia. Thanks to their attitude, I know that disability does not have to mean being crippled or helpless. Paradoxically, one can draw a great deal of strength from one’s own weaknesses. That is something I would like to learn. I suspect I will only truly learn it from our daughter.

Below, I am sharing two of Aimee’s talks. I know they last over half an hour, but sometimes we waste more time than that in front of the TV. I highly recommend them. After clicking “play”, you can select Polish subtitles.