I had an accident that made it hard for me to move, and I had to use a wheelchair. My dad didn’t want to take care of me because he thought it was too hard. But then, he learned something really important that changed how he felt. When I was 19 years old, a car hit me while I was going to work. It felt really scary, like everything went dark and hurt a lot. When I woke up, the doctors told me that I might never be able to walk again. I kept waiting for my dad to come and see me, but he didn’t show up until three days later. When he finally came, he looked really tired and not well, and I could tell he had been drinking a lot while I was trying to get better. My mom passed away when I was 12 because she was really sick. I remember her as a kind and tired lady who tried to keep our family fed while my dad said mean things and spent all his money on alcohol. When I turned 14, my dad told me to get a job to help pay for things. By the time I was 16, I left school and worked all the time to take care of myself and him. But when my dad came to see me in the hospital, he didn’t seem caring or thankful. The doctor said my back was hurt a lot, but it wasn’t completely broken.
She may regain her ability to walk, but she will probably be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. My father walked away. He told the doctor, “She’s over 18, right? She’s an adult. So she’s not my responsibility anymore. Take her.” I remember the look of horror on the doctor’s face and the look on my father’s face as he stared at my limp legs: “Useless! Useless like your mother!” After he said goodbye, I wouldn’t hear from him again for six whole years. Soon after, I moved to a special place to help me get better, and I met a nice therapist named Carol Hanson. She was like a caring mom and really took care of me. Carol was super loving, but she also expected a lot from me. Throughout the year, she helped me get better in ways I never thought I could. The day I learned to stand up and took my first step, I felt so happy that I cried, and so did Carol. That was just the start, and for the next few months, I practiced a lot. Finally, I was told that I was healthy!
I felt a mix of happy and sad feelings. I was better from my hurt and could walk again, but I was really scared. I didn’t have anyone to go to, no family at all. I felt very lonely in the world. Carol came in and found me crying. She sat down on the bed next to me and put her arms around me. “Jenny,” she said to me, “it’s okay to be scared. You’re going to start your life over again.” “I have no one or place to go,” I whispered, remembering the other patients leaving surrounded by their loving families. “I am alone.” The next day, I started looking for jobs on Carol’s computer. When I came down for breakfast, I saw some papers on the table from the local high school.
They were about night classes for grown-ups who wanted to finish their school education. “I think you need to go back to school so you can go back to college,” Carol said firmly.
My mouth dropped open. “College? I can’t afford that!” I snapped. “Carol, I don’t have a dime to my name and no way to support myself if I don’t get a job, and fast.” Carol shook her head, “No, Jenny, you can’t afford NOT to go to college. Listen, I’ll lend you the money and when you graduate, you’ll pay me back – just like a student loan from a bank.” So, she encouraged me a lot, and I worked hard to finish my high school diploma quickly. Then, I signed up for the nearby college. I have to say, seeing Carol made me want to be a nurse too, and after four years, I finished school with really good grades! I got a job at a hospital and became really good at taking care of tiny babies. One day, a team from TV came to make a news story about three babies that looked exactly alike, and they interviewed me! I was a celebrity of sorts for a while, but the attention brought me uninvited visitors. The doorbell rang and when I opened it, I was stunned to see my father standing there.
He looked awful, like a bum, and he stank of alcohol and sweat. “Jenny, my sweet little girl!” he cried, holding out his hands. “I’ve finally found you again.” “Found me again?” I asked sharply. “You abandoned me in the hospital because I was useless, remember, just like my mother?” He squeezed out a few tears. “Oh, my baby,” he sobbed. “Forgive me, I was scared and in shock… You’re not going to turn your father away now, are you? I wasn’t feeling well…” “You look fine to me,” I said coldly, although my trained eye had already noticed that his skin and eyes were yellowish, and he was probably suffering from some sort of liver damage due to drinking. He shuffled forward. “I’m sick, Jenny, and Daddy really needs you… and…” He licked his lips hungrily. “And I’m broke, baby, and have no money to eat… You won’t let your daddy starve, will you?”
“Like you left me to my fate? Helpless in a wheelchair? Guess what, I’m ‘PAPA’. Get out of here.” I slammed the door in his face and went back into the living room. Carol looked at me and smiled. “Who was that, Jenny?” “Oh, just a man selling things!” I walked over to the sofa, sat next to Carol, and hugged her tightly. Carol hugged me back. “Jenny,” she said, “there’s something I’ve always wanted to talk to you about. Will you let me adopt you? Be your mother? Because in my heart you are already my daughter.” I began to cry and couldn’t stop. When I was a kid, things were really hard for me. But now that I’m grown up, I found a nice home and a parent who loves me very much.