Luke's Life
story by Greg Kahn
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Luke looks over at a classmate that stands looming above him. Luke most likely will never walk, but with therapy they hope that he will be able to sit amongst his peers and communicate through a computer.
When in the standing chair, Luke now is able to tour the entire daycare center and spends that time trying out new activities.
Miss Elizabeth, a caregiver at Luke's daycare center, feeds the two-year-old through a tube in his stomach. Cerebral palsy deprives Luke of the muscle control he'd need to swallow on his own, so a liquid formula provides all his nutrition.
A tear slips down the side of Luke's face, he seldom cries for any reason and has never given the daycare any problems.
Not involved with the mess that erupts in the room every play time, Luke sits comfortably in his special chair as classmates Katelyn Deering, 1 (left), Braelyn Lee, 1 (center), and Brayden Thompson, 1 (right), put every toy available on the floor.
Luke's family stands over him in the early hours of the morning as Linda and Jimmy attempt to get all 4 grandkids washed up, dressed and ready the next day of school.
Cassidy, 5 sits with her brother Luke as he sits in his special chair as Linda holds JC and cooks dinner at the same time. Finding any free time is tough for the grandparents who have 5 grown-up children of their own and now have to take care of 4 more.
By 5am Luke and his siblings are ready to head to daycare. Jimmy needs to take multiple trips back and forth from the house to first carry Luke, then JC, then all of their bags to his truck.