One of the most exciting times in life is when we find out we are going to have a child. We know that our life is never going to be the same again and we start getting ready for the new addition from the moment we get the good news. Sometimes things go just as they should but at other times, there are complications. That is what Chelsea Garcia experienced. She knew that her daughter, Aubrey was going to have a lot of challenges in life, even in comparison to her sisters.
Chelsea is a mother of three from Plainville, Kansas. Her daughter, Aubrey was diagnosed with spina bifida when she was five months pregnant. Spina bifida is a birth defect that keeps the baby’s spinal cord from properly developing. The day after she was born, Audrey went through surgery to correct a spinal problem but her condition has still impacted her life.
From a very young age, Aubrey had to wear orthotics on her ankles and feet. She can’t feel anything from the knees down. It was difficult to learn how to walk but she continued to work on it. She also taught herself how to be creative and use her hip and thigh muscles when going through therapy.
By the time Aubrey was six years old, she was walking on her own.
“Sometimes I’ll suggest using a walker to get around if we’re going to Walmart or a big store like that, but she refuses,” Chelsea said. “She wants to do it all on her own.”
Even though Aubrey was doing well she still wanted to do better. She thought that it would be a good idea to learn how to run so she practiced for months. She would be out on the field during track meets and was determined to complete her goal in the town’s annual ‘Little Cardinal’ track meet for kids.
The day of the big race finally arrived and the seven-year-old girl was ready. Her mother was standing on the sidelines taking a video as Aubrey ran a 50 m race.
“She knew she would not win, but it didn’t stop her from trying,” she wrote on Facebook. They didn’t worry about speed, it was all about crossing the finish line.
Aubrey stumbled just before she crossed the finish line and Chelsea had a difficult time keeping it together.
“She started to stumble, and that is when the crowd REALLY comes in to cheer her on. With tears streaming down my face, I watched her fall into her daddy’s arms… She FINISHED that race,” Chelsea said, adding that Aubrey’s “smile just wouldn’t stop!”
Aubrey is showing all of us that if you want something badly enough, you can accomplish it.
You can watch her race in this video:
Source: Inspire More