Dear Clayton, I want to reveal to you something of utmost importance. I know that at your young age you won't be able to understand right now... My hope is that when you are older it will move you as strongly as it has moved me.
I don't think she slept for a year... On the Internet... Up reading books... Talking to doctors from across the country. Your mother sought for answers when she was told there were none. People told her to accept it, give it up, or to face reality. She never did give up the fight... she was fighting for you.
The day after your little sister was born, something happened. We don't know what set it off, but you became terrified and confused all at one time. I was awoken to your screams only to find that when I looked into your eyes,all I saw was fear and confusion. You seemed to be in pain, not in your body but in your mind.
From that day forward it was if we had lost you. You couldn't speak,understand or communicate. You showed no interest in us or others around you...you wouldn't even hug us. We were frightened and confused, but mostly frightened. You would cry and could not tell us why, you would not let us comfort you... you lived in your own world.
We sought help from many different kinds of doctors and therapists. Each specialist tried to apply their narrow interpretation to your specific situation. They were all wrong, but none were concerned enough to look outside of their profession to help us find the right type of help for you.
When they looked in your eyes they saw a glaze. Past the glaze, deep in your eyes, I saw my son. Like wearing a long heavy robe, every part of your mother and I was covered and consumed with... "What can we do? We see him in there... our son... but he won't come out. They say you can't... we say you can." We kept going back through the choices we made during pregnancy and your birth ... always consumed with the desperation of "what happened", "what do we do", and "where do we turn?"
I remember telling your mother, "I'd give anything, just to know." and, "I'd do anything to reach him." There was no where to turn. For two and a half years this continued... the fear... worry... desperation... and a burning urgency that we were losing time. Your mother would not give up on you.
It cost $5. Thomas Sowell wrote a book entitled "Late-Talking Children" in which he described you.. How you acted... how you felt... and how you were in there just as we had always believed. It was the first time we had heard someone else describe, so vividly, your life. He gave us hope of finding an answer and a lifeline to connect to you. He sent us to Dr. Steve Camarata at Vanderbilt University where he and his wife Mary have devoted their lives to helping families whose kids are "late-talking".
That is when we found you. Our lives were changed forever. A team of doctors and different specialists united with one purpose spent the time with you to get to know you... to find out exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. The most moving experience for your mother and me was to watch Dr. Camarata play on the floor with you and to bring out the best in you. He spent the time with us to answer all of our questions and tell us what to do at home to help you.
It was as if they had studied, trained, and come together for that moment... just for you and me. Dr. Camarata told us of his own son and how he was the same as you at your age. He gave us the tools we needed to talk to each other... you and me. He not only gave us hope and let us know it was going to be O.K. he gave us back our life and our son.
I want you to understand how the impact of one person staying committed to a cause can change another person's life forever. Dr. Camarata and his team walked out that level of commitment in total understanding, unmeasurable compassion, and unmatched skill. My prayer is that I can make this same type of impact on the people in my life... And that someday I can show you how to do the same.
It is so good to have you back.
With a thankful heart,
Your Father
