Kyle Mikael was born with CLOACAL EXTROPHY (bladder protruding outside the body), a rare deformity requiring multiple operations, procedures and management of multiple subspecialties. Among the other anomalies found was a huge lumbosacral lypomeningocele (a mass on his back that caused of spina bifida). He had been referred to several neurosurgeons who did not want to touch the meningocele.
Kyle's condition is quite unique that his anomalies seem to hinder each one's repair. Because of these, we as his parents are very explicit in our desire to give our son somehow a better and normal life. It was year 2005 way back when, Johren and Kyle went to one of hospitals in Manila to seek their opinion on Kyle's case; I was still in Taiwan during that time. The hospital had successfully managed Cloacal Extrophy as well as large Lypomeningocele, according to them; having two conditions in one patient has proven unmanageable in that center.
Because of that, we have decided to focus on his congenital clubbed feet management, the easiest and the most manageable anomaly he had. At the age of 3, Kyle had already expressed his own dreams, just simple dreams. To stand and walk someday was just one of it.
Unfortunately, the doctors wasn't seem adhering on that idea, according to them he can never walk and better if we'll just let him start the wheelchair while he's still young. It's useless and waste of time if he will go through an operation knowing that he will never walk. My wife seems so desperate at that time but never loses his faith. As she sees Kyle's eagerness as he tries to stand with support such as tables, chairs and such objects that he can hold on, there she finds hope.
The doctor's opinion didn't stop her; she went to the hospital everyday asking them if they can still go on with the operation. She was denied for so many times but she never stopped convincing them that our son could possibly walk someday even with the use of support for at least he can. Months passed by, but they never gave up going back to the hospital almost every day in a week, until the doctors decided to push through with the operation.
We're so happy that at last he will undergo an operation that would fix his clubbed feet, I don't know what happened but they're convinced to push through with the operation. While I'm still at Taiwan, the operation went through successfully. The cast was applied for almost 2 months, and I was terribly surprised how he weighs at that time and to think that his mother was the only one taking care of him. I finally arrived a month after the operation, I was very happy seeing the two of the most important persons in my life.
Since then, it was the three of us who visited the hospital every week for the dressing of his wound and changing cast. Kyle seems so happy about it, and he's so proud to introduce me to the doctors and nurses. After series of castings, He was enrolled to a rehabilitation center to prepare him before he starts to walk. There, he went through different exercise and rehabilitation processes that really helped him a lot in gaining his confidence in walking, still with leg support. He was very proud and very happy that he even takes to walk at the hospital just to let everyone see him that he can.
He was being praised by the doctors who prejudged him that he will never walk, but he tried and made it in front of them and almost drag his support trying to run just to show them that he can. We're so proud of him, his strength and fortitude he had shown in spite of his abnormalities had become also our strength and hope in raising him. Kyle was already on his kindergarten, he was very active and eager to learn. He never considered himself different from others; he always believes that he will never easily fail if he tries.
He loves sports a lot and he never says NO on stage presentations during school activities. He also loves music and very much interested on arts. He was very positive and never loses faith despite of all these undesirable conditions he ever had; he was an example of a true strength and endless hope. Walking could be one of the hardest part of Kyle's life, but these every little steps he made was a success for him, a triumph that only him and parents like us could fully understand.
