Virtual Walk – Roo S
My name is Roo and my mom’s name is Samantha. If you ever saw us on one of our magical trips that she calls going “bye bye,” you would never know the battles we fight on a daily basis. See, my mom has hemi-dystonia. I know it is word that many people have never heard of. Like many people with dystonia, she has good days and bad days. On her good days, we go on trips and walks to keep her muscles moving. See before she rescued me, my mom had to learn how to walk all over again. I think she does pretty well now though since I always escape from the house! However, she still has really bad days where we stay in bed all day. I stay by her side because her spasms go down half her body. We have not had many of those days lately, which is good. It just means she has to go to work!
No one ever thought my fur mom would be able to work with the disorder she has! Humans can be so mean. I haven’t told you the best part about what my mom does though. She helps daycares in the state be more inclusive. So every day, she helps children with special needs.
Obviously, my dog did not write anything above but we have to find the humor in living with dystonia, whatever type you may have. I could tell you about depression, surgeries, Botox, and medications but I’m not. I want to end on this note. I was diagnosed at 12 and had been a perfectly healthy child. I was mad and angry at the world then I finally realized that I had to continue to live a life worth living. My diagnosis of dystonia had to contribute back to the world in some way. Everyone and everything has a purpose. Roo’s purpose was to save me!
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