To her doctors, she taught them the virtues of not condemning their patients with hideous labels , such as 'cortically blind', 'spastic' and 'poor prognosis'. As she can now see, touch and wink naughtily, even from her squinting left eye. Lift both her arms in response to encouragements of " Who's Hannah?". Bears weight on both her 'spastic' legs and miserable-looking buttocks. She could , and by God she would!
To the nurses, she taught them that her unwillingness to swallow, wasn't from laziness. But that's the way she'd register her silent protest. Why pumped milk and nestum down her throat with big syringes when a simple finger feed would make her learn the art of chewing ?
To the other babies in the nursery,many of whom were recuperating from jaundice and hospital-acquired infections, she taught them that having good looks might make someone celebrate your birthday in hospital, but not enough to make them find you a home. For; as long as you cant control your own head or chew your own food, words spread that you are considered 'special' ( read 'spastic' ) and you can continue to bask under the phototherapy lights until state agents fetch you to welfare homes. Homes for the homeless.
