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    Our Butterfly Flies Free: The Brilliant Life Story of a Little Girl with Special Needs
    Our Butterfly Flies Free: The Brilliant Life Story of a Little Girl with Special Needs
    Our Butterfly Flies Free: The Brilliant Life Story of a Little Girl with Special Needs
    Ebook86 pages1 hour

    Our Butterfly Flies Free: The Brilliant Life Story of a Little Girl with Special Needs

    By Marlena Howerton

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    About this ebook

    Alyssa Howerton was born with special needs, but that didnt stop her from living her life to the fullest. She touched the lives of her family and of everyone who came to know her. The obstacles she faced were unbelievable, yet she remained strong and steadfast through them all. Because she was paralyzed from the waist down, Alyssa was confined to a wheelchair. Even so, she was able to travel, meet new people, and live a full and happy life.

    Lovingly told by her mother, Alyssas story chronicles the ups and downs of a life lived with special needs. She had many surgeries, but she faced each optimistically and with the understanding that life is very precious.

    Why did one person have to go through so much physical pain? How did Alyssa stay so positive through all of the trials she faced? She had a real zest for life, and she looked forward to each day with endless excitement. Each day was bright and newfull of hope in spite of the fact that a life-threatening surgery was always just beyond the horizon. Alyssa was always planning her next adventure.

    Our Butterfly Flies Free chronicles the full life of a daughter, granddaughter, and friend who was loved by all.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInspiring Voices
    Release dateDec 26, 2012
    ISBN9781462403967
    Our Butterfly Flies Free: The Brilliant Life Story of a Little Girl with Special Needs
    Author

    Marlena Howerton

    MARLENA HOWERTON lives in Frankston, Texas, where she works as an office manager. She lives on a ranch that raises zebras. Her greatest accomplishment was being a mother to her precious daughter, Alyssa Howerton. Our Butterfly Flies Free is her first book.

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      Book preview

      Our Butterfly Flies Free - Marlena Howerton

      Copyright © 2012 Marlena Howerton

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Inspiring Voices books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      Inspiring Voices

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.inspiringvoices.com

      1-(866) 697-5313

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4624-0396-7 (e)

      ISBN: 978-1-4624-0395-0 (sc)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2012921226

      Inspiring Voices rev. date: 12/21/2012

      Contents

      Our Little Butterfly has come Home

      The Journey Begins: Not Realizing the Depth of the Meaning of that Poem

      Our Butterfly Had so Many Interests and Always Tried to Explore Them All

      Our Butterfly Loved Parties (Any Kind, Anywhere) and Holiday Events

      Our Social Butterfly Saw Many Medical Professionals

      Family and Family Friends Were Always so Important to Alyssa

      Our Butterfly and Her Daddy Dave Teaching her to Fly

      Our Butterfly Was Compassionate and Loved with a Passion

      Our Final Words to Our Precious Daughter, Alyssa

      From a Friend

      My Book is Dedicated to

      Special Thanks

      Untitled-1.jpg

      Our Little Butterfly has come Home

      Looking across the green grass of a warm summer day, a butterfly lands on a rock and takes a look around. Yes, says the butterfly, I like it here. I think I will stay for a while. No one could have dreamed how much influence this decision to stay would have on so many, or how many blessings would be delivered by this angel, sent to encourage and bless the lives of all she came in contact with!

      Sitting in church was becoming increasingly uncomfortable that blessed morning. The labor pains were getting too close together. Getting up itself was an ordeal, but the time had now drawn near. Arriving at the hospital, our blessing was almost ready to enter her new world. An hour and a half later, she was in position to be born. Just as my water broke and time had come for delivery, she turned. The doctor scheduled an immediate C-section and proceeded to deliver our beautiful angel to us. My baby girl was born August 31, 1991, in Tyler, Texas. This blessing that arrived would come to be named Alyssa.

      When our precious little one came into this world, we had the anticipation and hopes of all young parents. Little did we know what a special gift we were about to receive. The glorious day of her arrival soon took a turn that changed our excitement and joy to confusion. Our day became dark and gray with concern. No, no … not my baby! I don’t understand! What is this spina bifida and hydrocephalus? Alyssa had the most serious form of spina bifida: myelomeningocele. In this form, the backbone and spinal canal is not closed before birth. My sweet Alyssa’s hips were terribly bruised and battered from the birthing process. Seeing her, my heart sank as I was told of her condition. After being anointed and blessed by our minister, the doctor took away our newborn angel. I knew it was for the best, but it was so hard to see her go with the medical staff. . Due to having a C-section, the doctor would not allow me to leave the hospital until I recovered from surgery. Grandma Jane and Alyssa’s Dad went to Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Texas to be with Alyssa. I could not let Alyssa be in the hospital alone. All of our family was at the hospital with Alyssa. Our friend Beth and many other friends went to Children’s Hospital to be with Alyssa until I could be there.

      After four long days, I was finally out of the hospital and able to travel to see Alyssa. Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Texas, became our new home for a while. The doctors explained to us what operations Alyssa would need and what to expect now and in the future if she survived. Please, please, I pleaded, fix my baby! Doctors explained they were unable to repair the nerve damage, but they could close her back. But doing anything at this time would be very dangerous for Alyssa. She had lost weight and would have to at least regain her birth weight before anything could be done.

      It took a week for Alyssa to gain the weight necessary for this first surgery. The doctor didn’t really give us much hope: Take her home, and give her all the love you can. The medical team explained how to administer the catheter and how to give her suppositories to help her potty regularly. This was the top priority before I could take my Alyssa home, as she was paralyzed from the waist down.

      An appointment was made for her in two weeks. The doctors were open and honest with us and did not expect Alyssa to make it to that first appointment. Chances were she would go to sleep and not wake up before that critical two-week period elapsed.

      A very strong little girl was present and accounted for at that two-week appointment. Alyssa was now strong enough to have surgery to put a shunt in her head to relieve the fluid pressing on her brain. Two months later, they were able to go in and close her back. After a long recovery period, we were able to go home again. In our preparation to leave the hospital, one of our many nurses gave me this poem titled Heaven’s Very Special Child written by Edna Massionilla. This poem talks about the blessings of caring for a special needs child. Why I was chosen for this special job of being Alyssa’s Mom I do not know, but what I do know is that I am glad that I was. Stronger faith and richer

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