Introductions

Hello to everyone out there in the blogosphere. My name is actually Danya Bryant, but for the last 18 years I have mostly been known as "Zach's Mom". It is a little lowering when you first realize that no one outside your close family and friends recognizes you without your child, but there you have it.

Zach is my almost-18-year-old son. The most important things to know about him are that he is very smart, very handsome, and a lot of fun to be around. Other notable things about Zach - he loves music, movies, hanging out with friends, surfin' the 'net, and most sports. Pretty typical for a teenager these days, I guess.

One non-typical thing about Zach - he has cerebral palsy. This is simply a diagnosis used when a child has some sort of brain damage before, during, or within 2 years of birth. In Zach's case, his umbilical cord came out with his head and was crimped off, causing a lack of oxygen. The end result is that, while Zach's intelligence was spared, physically he is unable to walk or talk. He uses a power wheelchair to get around, and a device called an ECO to talk and write. The medical community would probably describe him as "severely physically disabled," but I don't think of him that way. CP is just one small part of a very rich, large personality, and without it Zach would not be my Zach.

So, for all this time, if people see us together, they know who we are. But if I'm out on my own and see a neighbor or aquaintence at the mall, they are likely to not recognize me. I've gotten used to it. But now Zach is getting ready to enter his last year of high school, with college plans starting to feel real. What is the next part of my life going to look like? Who am I, besides being "Zach's Mom?" It's an exciting, but also scary, time for us, but I'm sure we'll figure it out. I figured it might help to write some about what's going on during this transition. Hope anyone who stumbles upon this blog enjoys it!