What makes a young boy’s eyes light up? What makes him shuffle his feet with excitement or smile from ear to ear? One would think it would be a new video game, playing with his friends, or better yet…..a giant hamburger!
On July 18th, 2011 Luke Allison was able to bring his new baby brother Titus, home from the hospital and that was better than any double-decker hamburger, that’s for sure.
Troy and Michelle Allison were blessed with not only one son via the path of adoption, but two. And, as many parents wonder…How can you love two little beings so much? But then you do, you just do.
Then five years old, Luke didn’t waste any time sharing his thanks for his new little brother,
“Dear Jesus, Thank you for the new baby. Thank you that I got to kiss him, and I’ll take good care of him. In Jesus name, I pray…Amen.”
And with that promise, Luke prepared to teach his new brother “the ropes”.
Little man Titus, grew to not only love the new face that was singing and reading to him, but he was also preparing for battle. Not the typical brother-to-brother battle of sharing the TV to watch PJ Masks, toys, or the last helping of macaroni and cheese, but the challenge of being diagnosed with Non-spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy.
The road is long
With many a winding turns
That leads you to who knows where
Who knows where
Titus was diagnosed at only ten months old. Troy and Michelle had no idea just how many winding turns this diagnosis would take them on. Days of managing an extensive list of doctor visits, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and of course, valuable time with big brother Luke.
Luke has proved to be a valuable secret weapon when it comes to Titus. He made it very clear from the beginning that he would take care of his little brother and he wears many hats while doing so… one of caring, loving, comedian, motivational speaker, video game extraordinaire, and liaison to the big man at the North Pole.
Luke is naturally encouraging to Titus and it shows when Luke tags along for therapy sessions. Michelle says, “Titus walks better, sits better, speaks better, and is generally just more enthusiastic and willing to give it his all when Luke is there to cheer for him.” Luke’s nickname is ‘Bubby’ (short for brother) and Titus’ first word attempt was not Da-Da or Momma… but Bubby!
Titus’ diagnosis can be categorized as spastic or non-spastic and in a level of 1-5, he is level 4, non-spastic. What does that mean? He has decreased and/or fluctuating muscle tone that can prove to be a big challenge when trying to master his new walker or when focusing on the formulation of a new word. At times, frustration kicks in, but he has such a love for life and determination, that those periods of frustration are quickly shadowed by his Rocky Balboa grit.
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
The strides Titus has made in his short 4 years have been equivalent to that of an Olympic athlete. Because Titus’ speech is impaired as a result of Cerebral Palsy, he has a lot of anxiety about speaking in front of other people. Troy and Michelle say that he is well aware that others will struggle to understand, and he’s also learned that many people won’t wait for him to form his words before they walk away. Although a talker at home, he has been pretty guarded and stressed about it everywhere else – sometimes to the point of tears.
This Rocky Balboa grit kicked in during a recent youth group event and with all heads bowed and eyes closed, Titus shared with Michelle that he wanted to pray too. What gave him the strength to step out of his comfort zone? Was it because everyone had their eyes closed? Whatever it was, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, Titus found his voice and said, “Dear Jesus… Dada, Momma, Luke. Amen!” To be four years old, in a room full of teenagers and already battling anxiety about speaking… he did it!
With Luke cheering from the sidelines, Titus recently accomplished another enormous task…he pedaled a bike for the very first time! So on they go… and he loves to go, go, go!
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there
There is no question, Luke’s love and admiration for his little brother would over flow the oceans. When asked, what do you love most about Titus? His answer starts out as a typical nine year old brother, but he wraps it up like a champ by saying,
“I love that he likes to watch me play video games. I love when we pick a place where we both want to eat, and it makes me happy to see him smile when I play with him.”
Luke recently spotted a lime green car in a nearby parking lot and shared that one day that car would be his. When asked, ‘Once you have your driver’s license and your lime green car, where would you take Titus for a day of fun?’ His response, “I would take him to the zoo, a children’s museum, Six Flags, a carnival, and a circus.”
It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share
Troy and Michelle know without a doubt that God used adoption to bring these two fellas together and to bring them into the Allison family for very specific reasons. They witness the evidence all the time and are ‘humbled that God would let us have these front row seats to watch how He works in their lives.’
Even at nine years old now, Luke still shuffles his feet with excitement when it comes to sharing life with his brother and little man Titus has a forever friend.
And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
He’s my brother!
Non-spastic Cerebral Palsy is decreased and/or fluctuating muscle tone. Multiple forms of non-spastic Cerebral Palsy are each characterized by particular impairments; one of the main characteristics of non-spastic Cerebral Palsy is involuntary movement. Movement can be slow or fast, often repetitive, and sometimes rhythmic. Planned movements can exaggerate the effect – a condition known as intention tremors. Stress can also worsen the involuntary movements, whereas sleeping often eliminates them.
An injury in the brain outside the pyramidal tract causes non-spastic Cerebral Palsy. Due to the location of the injury, mental impairment and seizures are less likely. Non-spastic Cerebral Palsy lowers the likelihood of joint and limb deformities. The ability to speak may be impaired as a result of physical, not intellectual, impairment.
