Have you heard of an upsee? It’s a harness that allows kids with special needs to walk. You strap a harness to yourself and attach your beautiful special needs baby to the harness, and together you walk.
You guys – kids who have never had the chance to walk are WALKING!
You can bet we got one for Mikaere (thanks to a grant from the amazing Eilfar Foundation) and we were pretty keen to try it out.
Well, it turns out my legs are too short, or Mikaere is too tall so it doesn’t work well when it’s the two us, but with Sam or Andy (Mikaere’s grandad) it’s magic. For a small while, our boy walked. He rocked on his toes and did the hockey pokey and he was upright and WALKING.
I can’t being to explain how huge this was for us, my emotions just went all over the place and I wanted to cry. He NEVER gets the opportunity to do this, to walk around the kitchen, walk about the garden with his grandad. He’s always strapped in, and wheeled around. Never ever has he been in the position where he can walk, even if it is assisted.
I didn’t know this, but my boy is tall, so tall. And he’s got the skinniest little legs and the sweetest knobbly knees! The best bit is when you’re wearing him, you can feel him *want* to walk. You can feel him lift his feet in anticipation and move himself forward. It’s beautiful. So so beautiful.
I’m aware that this amazing bit of technology only works for us because Mikaere’s head holding has improved dramatically. If he can hold his head up, that opens up all sorts of interesting opportunities for him.
It’s amazing hey? We’re pretty pleased.
