Friday, July 22, 2016
<p>All About Johnny</p><p> Jonathan "Johnny" Haldar is my step-son, although in my life, the word "step" didn't seem necessary, as I considered him to be my son. I met Johnny's dad right before Johnny turned two years old, so he has been a major part of my life for the last six years. I would like to tell you about Johnny so that you will understand what made him so amazing.</p> <p> When I met him, the only thing Johnny could do was sit up against some pillows and drink his bottle. He was so small--only 18 pounds--that even my small dog was heavier than Johnny. Johnny was born with myotonic dystrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy, so at that time, his future looked bleak. At least it did to his doctors, not to us, his family. In the early years, I spent a lot of time taking Johnny to the doctor. Sometimes we would visit 3-4 specialists in a week. I researched what I could, and his dad and I set out to give Johnny the fullest life possible. We took him everywhere we went, visiting waterfalls, national monuments, forests and theme parks. We often had to carry Johnny or push him in the stroller, but we wanted him to experience everything. In the summer of 2011, Johnny had three surgeries to repair a malrotation of his small intestine and his club feet. From that summer, he never looked back.</p> <p> No longer was Johnny that poor tiny boy in a stroller or on the couch. He was moving around, and in 2012, he took his first steps!! We were amazed at his determination and strength. He surpassed all expectations that anyone had for his life. In the last few years, he was learning letters and numbers, and took so much joy in looking at letters and words. He could not speak, but he could identify almost the entire alphabet. He loved letters so much, that his favorite part of any movie was the credits. He would sit close to the TV and stare in wonder at the letters going up the screen.</p> <p> Sadly, Johnny is no longer here to spread his joy and inspiration. But I know that he is with God, and he is whole and happy. I know that Heaven gained a special angel who will look down on us. He taught me far more than I could ever teach him. And whenever I feel defeated or want to give up, I will remember my dear son Johnny who taught me that anything is possible.</p> <p> Thank you for reading this and learning a tiny bit about this amazing, wonderful, inspiring child. He is forever in my heart.</p>
