Monday 25th March 1991 I had a major surgery on my spine at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, Middlesex, England.
Today marks the 30th year anniversary of the crucial event in my life and I cannot believe where the time has disappeared to. On one hand, it feels like it was yesterday and on the other hand, it feels like a life time ago.
The surgery I got was to take a bone graft from three areas on my legs and use them to strengthen the bone in my neck, so that if I ever got a knock, I wouldn’t have added complications from it and even become paralysed. This weaken was one of the symptoms from my disability, MPS Morquio.
From the period of March to August, I had to wear a body cast and have a ‘halo’ screwed to my forehead and bolted to the body cast. This was to ensure that I was unable to move my head whilst the new graft set in this period. I was also not allowed to sit any higher than a 45 degree angle. The halos back then were metal too, but it was a rather uncomfortable period of my life. Still, I didn’t complain too much and still found ways to enjoy my life and feel inclusive to everything that was going on around me.
I spent a month in England recovering from the surgery and a further period of time at Musgrave Park Hospital, before being allowed home. At that stage, there wasn’t the fancy children wards they have now. I was then in old wards, that were used by the British Army. I literally felt like I was through the wars!!
In that time, my beloved family pet, Skippy the Springer Spaniel, was knocked down and killed on the road. This was added to the already upsetting time in hospitals.
Still, it wasn’t all bad. I was regularly getting letters of good wishes from my class mates, friends, family, neighbours and possibility more surprisingly, people I didn’t know. So I can honestly tell you, getting these letters do lift the spirits and bring a smile to a child’s face.
I missed the majority of my final year at my primary school Our Lady of Lourdes, and spend more of the year being home schooled. However my school was excellent and allowed pupils out to visit me every day to get the lessons with me, so I would still feel included with my peers.
So looking back over the last 30 years, I’ve seen how far I have come and I look forward to the next 30 years to see where I am going.
2020 has been a difficult year for me, as it has for many people across the world. With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the planet, it has taken me back to this time. A time when I was in a different type of lockdown from March to August. I was being home schooled, did not get outside much and saw very little of my friends.
I came through it a tougher person and that resilience has made me the man I am today. Indeed, it gave me the extra strength I needed to get through 2020 and whatever length of time this pandemic will last. Like many disabled people, we have been well trained for this period in history.
Keep smiling friends, enjoy today and a brighter future will return. As for me, I am happy with the experiences 1991 has taught me and I am happy that I am me.