Nora St.Laurent Guest post - Her Son's Overcoming of V.A.C.T.E.R.A.L.

My son Isaac, now 14-years-old, was born with a few more challenges to overcome than most. He is a bright spot in my life and is and an encouragement in more ways that I can count. I want to share about his first year in middle school when he went to Band Try-outs!

Isaac is brave, my bundle of joy, an encourager and my hero. I hope his story will encourage you as well. 

Today was a hard but good. I went with my youngest son Isaac to watch him try out for band. I’d never been to a band function before and didn’t know what to expect. There were rooms set up with different instruments you could try out with, and instructors inside each room to test you. They had a clarinet, flute, trumpet, etc. I was overwhelmed but I saw Isaac’s eyes twinkle with excitement at the challenge before him.

This was the first time in his life he wanted and/or was physically able to try out for something at his school. My son has V.A.C.T.E.R.A.L. Association. Isaac has had thirty nine surgeries at this point, has four fingers on each hand and a clubbed left hand that’s shorter than the other. Most of the time people don’t even see Isaac as different when they first meet him. He has not let his physical challenges stop him from doing anything.

Isaac made sure we were out of the house at record time so that we would be early. He wanted to give himself plenty of time to check out all the instruments. He wasn’t quite sure which one he wanted to play.

We arrived at the first room and Isaac sat down with the teacher who was going to show him how to play the flute. He would do this in front of a room full of other kids and their parents waiting their turn to try out. The teacher instructed Isaac on how to position his lips just right to make the instrument sing. He tried several times. She was patient as she watched Isaac try to blow into the mouth piece and make noise come out. After a little while she put the mouth piece onto the rest of the instrument and handed it to Isaac.

He told her he couldn't hold it like she wanted him to because he only had 4 fingers on each hand. I watched her face contort as she noticed Isaac didn’t have enough fingers to play the flute. She smiled and said,"Oh, I didn't know."

My son took it all in stride and went skipping to the next room ready to tackle another instrument. We went from room to room trying to play one instrument after another. He either couldn't do the finger placement, couldn't blow into the mouth piece which was the case with the trumpet, or he physically couldn’t hold the instrument up with his left shorter arm.

We got all excited when the teacher handed him a clarinet mouth piece and he made a sound. Isaac’s eyes lit up and were filled with excitement at the fact it was so easy for him to make it sing. It was the best he had done at anything so far.

But then it was time for the finger placement again and he definitely needed all 5 fingers and two long arms to play the instrument. The instructor was kind—said he might be able to do it and let him try to make it work. After Isaac could see for himself that it wasn’t a fit the teacher recommended that he might want to consider another instrument. He was disappointed but not crushed.

Isaac was determined to play something that night. After consulting the band director and telling him all the instruments he attempted to play the director had an idea. He went into the back room and brought out a special instrument. It looked like a very small tuba with a large mouth piece, Isaac’s face lit up with great joy. This was a manly instrument he might just be able to play.

He didn't have to hold this instrument up but could lay it on his lap. It also only had three keys to push so he was covered there in the finger department. Isaac could use the mouth piece just fine and made the instrument sing easily - just like he had done with the clarinet. Isaac beamed as he played the instrument. He was triumphant. He never gave up and the best news was the school had one that they could let him borrow. Praise the Lord!

My son Isaac is the bravest person I know. His outlook on life chokes me up as you can see how he faced the band try-outs. I was terrified and felt bad for him but Isaac found joy in the challenge. As a Mom who has watched him overcome many things he’s faced in life,  I’m inspired by him and how he faces things head on and never gives up on a task until it’s done. I watched him do that as he went from room to room with a smile on his face trying the next instrument to discover where he could fit in and make beautiful music!! I'm choked up even now as I write this I’ve learned so much from Isaac and his attitude toward challenges. He lives life to the fullest and doesn’t let things get him down like I do.
Thanks for sharing with us, Nora, and we will keep Isaac in prayer. He has a wonderful mom and dad!

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