This kid in a Wando jersey is a big deal for me. It’s a long story so you will want to make yourself comfortable.
Here is a timeline for Brady Philip Quick:
- born October 11, 2002.
- Because I was of “advanced maternal age” (35) when he was born I had a 4D ultrasound
- In June 2002 we saw on the ultrasound that Brady only had 4 toes on his left foot and a birth defect called fibular hemimelia (congenital shortening of the fibula bone). 4 toes seemed like the end of the world to us, anything short of “normal” was abnormal, cue the freaked out parents. We wondered if Brady would walk, and if there would be any limitations.
- Among other things I visited the priest, Ted McNabb, at the church we had just joined, Christ Church. Father Ted listened to me explained what was going on and that I hadn’t been enough of a church attendee in the recent past so I felt unworthy of asking God for help. Father Ted looked at me quizzically at first and then said, “You don’t get it. If this child is your way to God then truly he is a gift from God.” He had me talk to Sara Ray who put Brady and me on the prayer list. From that point on, Brady was being prayed for mightily by the Daughters of the King and beyond.
- We had seen a specialist about what to expect when Brady was born. Dr Stanitski was rude and offensive and I refused to go back to talk to them.
- We went to a different pediatric orthopedist and he did a lot to help me prepare for Brady’s birth, the point where we had Dr. Rick Reed on standby in case Brady needed corrective surgery immediately.
- October 11, 2002 Brady was born at East Cooper Hospital. His foot did not require a cast or corrective surgery. Answered prayer, thank you Lord.
- Brady was, very much, a typical kid. I will never forget watching him crawl up the back stairs. Kit Rice was watching next to me an said, “Brady doesn’t have a regular leg and a special leg, but a regular (left) leg and a super (right) leg.
- Through a curious and divine series of connections we came to know about Dr. John Herzenberg at the Rubin Institute of Advanced Orthopedics. When Brady was 4 months old he, Ryan and I survived a blizzard road trip with Megan, were snowed in at Jorie’s for a week with my entire family and then finally met with Dr Herzenberg.
- Dr Herzenberg sketched out the future for Brady – limb lengthening surgeries with external fixators. The most important thing he told me was to let Brady have a normal life and he’d see us in a year.
- When he was about a year old Brady started walking and I was thrilled and proud and caught off guard. A stranger we were with called Brady “gimpy” because that’s what he was. The Mama Lion came out on me, and with one swipe of my sharpened tongue, I took his head off. Not only that, I chewed him up and spit him out. It was over a year of holding my breath (would Brady walk?) that came out in one exhale and I immediately regretted it. No fruits of the spirit there. And I embarrassed our best friends Cindy and Ashley who were our hosts.
quicksdontquit 