Bre Avery Zacharski
This dad has an 8-year-old son who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. While his son is not in a wheelchair, since his disorder is on the more mild side, he does have to use crutches to get around.
He and his wife have raised the little boy so that he never thinks poorly of himself. Although he can acknowledge that his son is more limited in certain ways, and he and his wife accommodate him when necessary, he is adamant about his son not allowing his disability to define him.
He supports his son and wants him to know that he’s not less important than anyone else because of his cerebral palsy.
He’s also invested in ensuring his son can be as independent as possible, given his age and limitations.
“He’s a smart kid and usually gets the highest grades in his class,” he explained. “He is liked by all his teachers and classmates and has more friends than I ever had.”
“I’m so proud of him. He is well-behaved both at home and at school. But lately, he has started acting strange.”
A week and a half ago, his son began dodging his chores, like making his bed, picking up his dinner plates, and leaving a mess in his wake. The last two evenings, his son didn’t even do his homework, which concerns him.
Any time that he has challenged his son over what he’s not doing at home, his son says he can’t do anything since he’s disabled because of his cerebral palsy.
Then, his son referred to himself in a derogatory term, which appalled him, and he quickly told his son not to say that word.
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