He's A Keeper

Elijah in the goal.

Almost three years ago one of the most athletic little boys in the world fell off the bus and broke his arm.  Thus began our journey with epilepsy.  The fall off the bus was a blessing, as it led us to find Elijah's epilepsy before it could do major damage to his brain, or he had a more severe accident.  At the beginning of the process there were lots of tests and lots of questions.  The forced watching of Elijah did not sit well with his independent nature.  Can you imagine being told that you can no longer take a bath or swim by yourself because you could have a seizure and drown?  How about not climbing trees and playground equipment because you could have a seizure and get hurt?  How about being told no soccer, no baseball, no wrestling, no nothing where you can take a head shot?  Oh, and your an 8 year old little boy who loves to do all those things, unassisted and with full abandon. 

That was Elijah when the epilepsy diagnosis was handed down.  While I was busy researching causes, and treatments, Elijah was busy trying to find a way to live a less independent life with a condition that he could not control.  Did I forget to tell you he's wired like his mother and independence just runs in our genes?  While I was creating his 504 and seizure  plans for school, Elijah was getting used the side effects of seizure meds, medical alerts and questions.  Lots of questions on why he couldn't do all the things he use to be able to do.  Knowing that Elijah needed control, he learned to take and manage his seizure meds.  He knows as much about the type of the seizures he has as I do.  While he couldn't play all the sports that he use to, or be left alone, Elijah helped organize the family to form Team Lili to raise money for the Georgia Epilepsy Foundation.  Paired up with his older brother, Elijah has completed several 5k's, but running is a poor substitute for a kid who use to thrive with team sports and contact.

Chasing the ball and giving directions to the defense in his 2nd game

This fall, Elijah was given medical clearance to return to team sports as long as it was not one where his head was in danger.  This eliminated diving, football, wrestling, baseball and pole vaulting.  Soccer was given approval as long as Elijah does not head the ball.  Before his seizures were diagnosed, Elijah had played soccer and was a keeper.  He was pretty good for a little kid.  Aggressive, good hands, not afraid to get in front of a ball, or a kick, or just plan plow a kid over to get a ball was how he played before the seizures.  The kids in his age group were bigger, the goal was bigger and Elijah, well he's a small kid who still has seizures from time to time.  That independent nature of his and his natural tendency to study problems until he finds a solution that works, aid him well in managing his epilepsy and those skills did not fail him when he went back to soccer this spring.

Making a save!

Clearing the ball!

Elijah's coach was a little skeptical that one of the smallest kids on the team could be the keeper.  He was made a believer the first game!  Elijah was rusty, but aggressive against even the big kids,  which are pretty big since 10-14 year olds are playing in his age group.  Few of the kids on his team have played soccer before, and even though it had been three soccer seasons since Elijah played, he was the highlight of the first game.  Very few of the people who watched him that day knew this was his first game back since falling off the bus.  Few of them know that a head shot from a ball, or a high kick probably will mean a week of seizures.  What they saw was pure happiness!  A little boy happy to be on a field, doing what little boys are supposed to do.  The crowd, or the referee, or the other team, or the other team's coaches did not see a boy with epilepsy, but a keeper!  A really good keeper who got lots of congratulations for a job well done (despite losing). Wish I got a picture of those dimples and smile from ear to ear when the high school referee stopped Elijah and told him "Good game Keeper!" but I didn't because I was trying to not cry at how far our little keeper has come!

Throwing the ball out