Can I Get A Wheelchair?
July 7, 2008 – 7:04 am
So, for several years now, one thing that has been on the top of Eli’s list to get is a mohawk. Our friend Baker, one of the coolest kids we know, has one. And since Eli first saw it he’s been fascinated by it.
Baker’s is pretty tame on the mohawk scale. Yes, his head is shaved on the sides, but the actual “hawk” (assuming the shaved part is the “mo”) is wide and only an inch or so tall. What Eli really wants is what you and I think of when we think of a mohawk — shaved head, spiky, punk-rock-style. We’ve been out more than once and seen a punk-rock-style mohawk only for Eli to litterly drop what he’s doing, stop the person, and say “I want my hair like that.” We got it cut for him recently short enough that he can put it up in a “faux-hawk”, and that satisfied the urge for a while.
Eli’s new obsession it seems is wheelchairs. Now, not once in any discussion related to this surgery has there been mention of a wheelchair, or him needing to use one. Thanks be to God that we caught this well before there was any need for anything like that. But as of late, that has been his number one request. Why? “Because they’re cool!” has generally been his explanation. I think it’s primarily because of an exhibit at the Adventure Science Center, oddly enough sponsored by Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, that shows kids what it’s like to use a wheelchair to do everyday things like getting around and playing. They have to actually get in the wheelchair to do those things. We can’t keep him out of that exhibit. He loves it. And he’s really good at too.
So, I have no doubt that before our time ends at Vanderbilt, you will see Eli tooling around the halls in a wheelchair. Probably popping wheelies and running people over. Don’t be alarmed. At least he hasn’t shaved his head for a mohawk.