This little news segment ran on our local station, WLOX, back in 2007.  Nathan was five years old and was just a few months recovered from heart surgery to correct PAPVR (Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return), a component of scimitar syndrome.  His sister, Michelle, presented him as her everyday hero at a school luncheon.  Nathan whispered to Bryan and me, “Are you so proud?“  Indeed, we were.  Of both the presenter and the receiver!

It was a bittersweet moment.  We had just learned he had congenital kyphosis and would require spinal fusion surgery to prevent paralysis.  That surgery was successfully performed a few months later.  But on that day, he was our inspiration–our hero!

Nathan Blakeney walks for the first time after spinal fusion surgery. In this moment, he was finding his courage.

If you have a child with a congenital heart defect or any other birth defect or illness, you have silently asked,”Why did this happen to my child?”

Sometimes we ask the question because we wonder if we were exposed to something toxic:  Fumes from fresh paint?  Bug spray?  Medicine taken before we knew we were pregnant?  Sometimes we wonder if we were negligent:  Did I eat too much of this?  Not enough of that?  I asked all of those questions and more after Nathan‘s birth.

But oftentimes, we are asking a bigger question.  God, why did you allow this to happen to my child?

I believe the first few verses of John 9 are meant for us:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”  “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

I don’t believe Jesus is saying that these parents and this man lived completely sin-free lives – He’s saying sin is not the reason for the affliction.  A child with health challenges is a gift, not a punishment.

Before Nathan was born, we were aware that he was not perfect.  Some parents, I’m sure, would have made the decision to terminate.  And what a terrible shame.  Nathan has been a great joy to our entire family.  We have seen “the work of God…displayed in his life.”

Walk and listen. Pray and learn.  God  has a plan for every little life.

The Sea Climb at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center; Gulfport, Mississippi

“This is great, Mom,” Nathan said as I pulled in at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center. “It reminds me of my childhood.”  Nathan is only eight-years old, but seems to believe he is no longer in his childhood.  In a way, I understand his perspective.  After all, he was a regular at “Meadows” (Nathan-speak for LMDC) when he was three and four-years-old.  That’s half his life ago.

Due to reasons beyond our control, our trips to LMDC stopped abruptly. First, Hurricane Katrina swept an 11-foot storm surge through the first floor, destroying the exhibits, and causing catastrophic damage to the supporting structures:  the education building, the gymnasium, and the extensive tree houses built among the live oaks.

Nathan in the Sea Climb; Lynn Meadows Discovery Center; Gulfport, Mississippi

Then, as the community and corporate sponsors pulled together to rebuild LMDC, Nathan’s life became dominated by surgeries. The first surgery occurred in Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital to repair his congenital heart defect (he has Scimitar Syndrome with PAPVR).  After heart surgery, we learned he had Congenital Kyphosis and needed spinal fusion surgery to prevent paralysis.  He was in a body cast for several months afterwards. So we stopped going for a while, and  Nathan seemed to have forgotten his old stomping grounds until I drove into the parking lot two weeks ago.

He quickly recollected his “childhood” and began reenacting scenes from that era.  He scrambled up the Sea Climb, pausing briefly for me to take a couple photographs.  He hopped out at the History Hotel on the second floor  and sat down for “tea” and a plate full of “pastries.”

Nathan rings up groceries at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center; Gulfport, Mississippi

He visited Mexico at Celebrate the World We Share and shopped for groceries at To Market, To Market (chocolate milk, a baguette, an orange, Orville Redenbacher Popcorn, and a crab).  Then he executed a flawless cooking show as if he were Emeril Lagasse in the LMDC Television Studio.  He also performed about a half dozen experiments in A Matter of Science (and he thought he was just playing).

After a kayak ride down the bayou, Nathan made his way down Sea Climb to check out the first floor exhibits.  He hopped a train at the Dolan Avenue Depot, and spent some time at the spacious train table.  After riding the rails, he took to the seas at The Port, manning the helm and ringing the bell on a shrimp boat.  Feeling a little creative, he stepped down the hall to the art room where volunteers showed him how to do “scratch art.”

Bubblemania at LMDC

When Nathan’s masterpiece was completed, we decided to take a shortcut through Bear Camp Bayou (for children under four) to check out Bubblemania, an outdoor summer exhibit.  By pulling a long cord, he made a huge bubble sheet at one station.  Then he tried out a machine that formed hundreds of tiny bubbles between two glass panes.  Mostly, he liked making large bubbles with the assorted bubble wands.  No one was looking, so I made a few myself (if the Executive Director, Cynthia Minton, can do it, so can I ).

It’s amazing how fast two hours goes by at LMDC.  I told Nathan it was time to go home, but he managed to talk me into ten more minutes.  He needed to make a run through The Tree House Village for old time’s sake.  I hated to interfere with his quest to reconnect with his childhood.

Nathan waves from the Tree House Village at LMDC.

[The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is open Monday - Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm, during the summer (Tuesday - Saturday beginning August).  Tickets are $7 for adults and children over age one.  Family memberships are also available.  For more information, contact LMDC at (228) 897- 6039 or check out their website at www.lmdc.org.]

Upcoming Events at LMDC:

•The WINGS Performing Arts Center of LMDC presents “The Wiz” at MGCCC, Jeff Davis Campus, Fine Arts Auditorium, July 17-19.  Click here for tickets and details.

•A Circle of Friends presents “Performing Friends” on Saturday, July 25, 2009, 10am to 4pm.  This free event will be held in the WINGS Performing Arts Foyer at LMDC.  This is a family fun day which focuses on disability awareness.

DisabilityConnection.org, an Internet Resource Center for people with disabilities, has partnered with LMDC to bring this event.  Expect a great day of performances, demonstrations, door prizes, games, food, and booths.

This is the most incredible pop-up book I’ve ever seen.  Each page is packed with fascinating dino-info and displays a large, intricately crafted dinosaur.  As if that is not enough, there are pop-ups within pop-ups–miniature booklets tucked within the book, filled with additional 3-D reptiles.  This book is an amazing feast for the eyes.  Children (and adults!) can’t help slowly opening and closing the pages to watch the paper creations seemingly come to life.

Look at those teeth!

It’s the perfect blend of education, art, and entertainment–a great choice for a convalescing child.