My Mighty Sprite

It’s so amazing to watch Ashley do things that doctor said she would never do – that others said her disability would prevent her from doing. This past week was a perfect example.

We scheduled a trip to the beach. The particular beach we visited was about a two hour drive from our home. Along the way we planned to stop at a museum, and we had plans during the week for boat trips, playing on the beach, seeing a movie, staying in an hotel, and of course, eating all our meals out in restaurants.

Imagine being deafblind and doing all those things. New smells, new textures, schedules thrown out the window, and a lot of people around that you don’t know. All my training in deafblindness said to go slow, introduce new things carefully and slowly, and try to understand the hesitation the person with deafblindness might exhibit. Well, that was all a bunch of hooey as it pertained to Ashley.

Rather than hesitating, she often led the way. If we stayed too long in the hotel room, she was asking to go – go anywhere – just go. She tried several new kinds of food, including fried pickles (yuck!). She slept very well in a strange bed. She loved all the sightseeing trips, and adored the boat trips. She was extremely happy the whole time, and just adapted to whatever we were doing. It was almost as if she had no disabilities.

I’m not sure what intrinsic quality Ashley possesses that leads her unafraid into new situations, but I wish I could bottle it. She is such a delightful person, and I just know she would love to get in the car and spend the next year exploring the United States! If I could retire, we might just do that.

When people observe her, they often don’t believe she is deafblind. I can assure you that she really is, but her fearlessness and zest for life almost always overpower that disability. She lives life to the fullest, and I am so very proud of her!