"Oh, Oh, I believe, there are ANGELS among us. Sent down to us, from someone up above." Those are lyrics from a great song by Alabama, featuring Alan Jackson. You can not go wrong with that ensemble, am I right? I find and know this lyric to be true. We do walk with angels on a daily basis and some are here to protect us, while the others are here to teach us. Teach us lessons, we all need to learn.
In The Company of Angels, written by Pamela Jean Lyman, and other parents, is a book that gives us an up close and personal look into children who are Angels. These children, of all ages, races and backgrounds, have been diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome. "AS is a severe neurological disorder characterized by profound developmental delays, problems with motor coordination and balance, and epilepsy."(1) That was taken straight from the introduction. I chose to quote that word for word, because, I like many human beings and a parent myself, did not know what AS was. This book, is a collection of stories, all TRUE, about families living with an angel. They walk us through the diagnosis, the heartache, the sleep less nights, and just their average, trying to be normal life.
My oldest sister, Angela, is my angel. She is one of the strongest people I know. She came to earth 100% perfect. My mom recalls her birth. It snowed. She was an angel. The first born. As she grew, she had long golden hair. She was smart, knew all her colors, numbers and letters. She helped care for my older brother, Mark, and me, when I came along. Then, at age 5, after many tests and trips to the doctor, Angela, was diagnosed with a brain tumor located on her pituitary gland. My parents, put their faith and trust in the Lord, and the talented doctors. Angela, went into surgery to have the tumor removed. Little did my parents know, she would not come out the same.
She has always been my sister. I have not known her any other way. Some people stare. She was teased. I was teased, because of her. I remember getting into a fight with some girls in middle school, because they were making fun of her. Not a good idea. For those girls. I was pretty feisty in my youth. She is our angel. We all made the choice to come to earth. We chose our bodies, challenges and family. Angela, and these others ANGELS in this book, chose wisely. They knew what they were doing. They were counseled by our Loving Father in Heaven. We, should watch and pay close attention to them. They know the way home.
These stories, insights, will make you laugh and cry. I have the honor of knowing one of the moms and her family. Wonderful family. When Nick and I were first married, this couple stood out as an example of what marriage should look like. They love each other and their children. Through good times and bad. They never give up.
AS is different and the same for these families. They all struggle with their Angel falling asleep, and communicating. One story that hit me to the core, was the story of Elijah. His story, are now memories. Seizures are common with Angels. "When Elijah first started having seizures it was pretty dramatic; he would have as many as 150-200 drop seizures a day." "...nothing prepared me for having to watch as seizures took control of my son's body and feeling completely helpless."(2) Parents should never feel helpless, but times will come when we do. Have you ever seen someone have a seizure. They come in all shapes and sizes. But no matter which one you witness, it is scary.
In October of 2008, on an early Monday morning, Emmah, snuck in our bed. Nick had already left for work. Dasher was sleeping in his bed, and little Bosston was in between Emmah and me. I didn't know why she snuck in bed at the time, but just about 30 minutes later, I found out. All of the sudden, I could hear, what sounded like a shopping cart rattling on the street. I looked up, to find my four year old daughter in full convulsion. I quickly snapped out of whatever sleep was left in me and yelled for Dasher. He grabbed my phone as I watched all of this unfold. You are not to touch or disturb them. I can't believe I remembered that . I dialed 911, EMT/Paramedics came. Scariest thing I have had to do thus far.
Emmah was diagnosed with epilepsy. She is fine and has not had an episode since that October morning. I know why Emmah came into bed that morning. An angel, of another sort, carried her in. If she would have stayed in her bed, I would have never known. She could've suffered other injuries. I am thankful for those angels.
In the Company of Angels, will educate you. It will open your eyes to a special need that many do not know about. Hopefully, it will reach all those doctors who, after parents pushed for testing, came to the conclusion of AS. Some, most of those doctors, need a lesson in bed side manner. Reading their response to the parents, was hard. Some were harsh. Some were emotionless. I would've punched them in the face! Cheers to the families. To the moms and dads and support groups. Cheers to the simple things. Cheers to the hugs, and laughter. Cheers to the Angels.
People with special needs are special because they are better than us. It's true. "Different is not a negative term, but a neutral one.A disability does not make us better or worse, just different."(3)
You can order your copy either on Amazon, or by going to http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781621475644
and as always, Happy Reading
Heidi
(1)In The Company of Angels. Preface. page 11
(2) In The Company of Angels. Faith Journey by Darren Humphries page210
(3) In The Company of Angels. Entering Oz by Andrera Carlassare page 193
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