The Inspiration
The spark for Inclusive Sol ignited in the wake of a moment that forever altered the course of my life: the day we received the jolting diagnosis for my son Elijah Sol, just two weeks past his first birthday.
In that moment, we confronted a reality we had never fathomed. The doctors delivered the news with a weight that seemed to crush the air from the room. They spoke of dystonia and spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, significant hypertonia and hyperreflexia. Then they mentioned the use of splints and unevenness that would require medication or possibly surgery. He had primitive reflexes retained and a heightened risk of epilepsy. Amidst it all, they offered practical advice – to ensure wide doorways for wheelchair access at home and that he should be able to talk with therapy. It was an avalanche of information, a wave of emotions.
And then, with the weight of the diagnosis, the medical staff sent us home, left to grapple with the enormity of it all empty-handed. Where do we even begin? A question echoed through my mind: Where do I find my anchor and tribe?
