The last several posts dealt with the mom (Patty), and the older sister (Catherine). But I never talked about the person whose life changed the most due to her illness and it’s time to get to know her a little better. Her name is Christina.
Random facts about Christina
Age: 21 years old
Favorite food: pizza
Interests/hobbies: playing on the Tablet…playing games like Cribbage and Skip-Bo…coloring…puzzles…Circle A Word puzzles
Favorite color: yellow
Her life
The name Christina means ‘a Christian’ or ‘a follower of Christ’ or ‘anointed’. She is Patty’s youngest daughter and Catherine’s little sister.
She was only 13 months when she got sick, way too young to remember her life before the diagnosis. As far as she’s concerned this is the only life she’s ever known.
It’s been 20 years since her battle with E.Coli (you can read more about it here) and she’s accomplished a lot.
She graduated from high school in 2019 and currently lives at home. She’s a strong independent young woman, much like her older sister. Granted her seizure disorder places limitations on her independence because she needs to be monitored at all times.
Before COVID-19, Christina and her mom volunteered at a local retirement home. Where they cleaned tables and floors. They also spent time with the residents in memory care; coloring, doing puzzles and playing trivia.
Most days she plays Cribbage with her mom while watching Wheel of Fortune. She helps around the house by doing chores and enjoys getting the eggs from the chicken coop.
She absolutely loves her dog (Riley) and is more than happy to share that information with you. In fact her life is an open book. She will tell you exactly what’s going on without any reservations.
On a recreational level, Christina likes to ride her bike and bowl with her yellow Tweety Bird bowling ball. She’s also a wiz when it comes to putting puzzles together.
Her talents
Most of all Christina enjoys helping people. This could mean doing chores around the house. Or volunteering to teach a Bible lesson during the mid-week special needs program at church. It could also be writing letters or praying for people. Whatever the case, helping people brings her joy.
In fact, she describes herself as being helpful and thoughtful. I think she did a pretty good job of assessing herself.
Beyond that, she touches the lives of everyone she meets by being herself. I call it being uniquely Christina.
Take her letters for example. At a time when the art of letter writing is slowly dying, she has taken it to a whole new level. Her letters are actually a visual feast for the eyes because she writes each sentence in a different color. The first time I received one of her uniquely Christina letters, I was blown away. It was like receiving a rainbow in the mail.
Her faith
Most important of all is the fact Christina knows who she is. She’s a daughter of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. She boldly walks through life holding onto His hand.
She doesn’t like her seizures but she knows who’s holding her hand. She’s secure in the knowledge and love of her heavenly Father. Confident no matter what she faces in life, He’ll still be holding her hand, leading and guiding her every step of the way.
She embodies the humility and faith Jesus was talking about when he placed a little child in front of Him and said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)
Christina’s life is a testimony of the all-surpassing power of God. 2 Corintians 4:7
Final thoughts
I would be remiss if I didn’t take the time to applaud her parents. You see Christina wasn’t raised in a vacuum but in a loving, nurturing home. One that provided a safe, stable environment for her and her sister, Catherine.
I’m pretty sure having a disability wasn’t what Patty and her husband envisioned when they held Christina in their arms for the first time. Yet this was their reality. Or as I like to call it, their normal.
In this new normal, they raised two remarkable young women. Bear in mind, they still had moments of frustration. Life wasn’t always easy. But they pushed through the tough times, one step at a time. Putting their faith firmly in God. Even when circumstances didn’t make sense.
It would’ve been easy to cave into the stress. To call it quits. No one would’ve blamed them. But they made it work. They fought for their marriage. They fought for their girls. Above all, they clung to God.
I hope their story encourages you to keep pressing forward in your journey. To take it one step at a time through the unpredictable, and the setbacks. Always remembering, the God who gives Patty and her husband the strength to do all things, will also strengthen you. Philippians 4:13