Spina Bifida Research Paper

On July 19, 2004, my baby sister, Kadie Parks Allison, was born. She had blue eyes, like the color of the sky, and red hair, like the color of a strawberry. Her skin was like a porcelain baby doll. She was a very beautiful baby, and everyone instantly fell in love. My parents quickly realized that Kadie was not a happy baby. Kadie would cry constantly, and my parents had a hard time figuring out why. She cried even harder when she was put into a car seat like someone was stabbing her. My parents decided to take her to a children’s hospital in Memphis, TN, where she was finally diagnosed. Kadie went two years in pain before the doctors finally diagnosed her with Spina Bifida in 2006. Spina Bifida is a defect in the spine and spinal cord, where a part of the backbone is exposed. It can cause paralysis in the lower limbs and sometimes a mental handicap. This is what happened to Kadie.

My mom was so scared and would constantly say “Back surgery at only two years old, really?”. My parents were terrified for Kadie. They arrived the day before surgery and got specific orders not to let Kadie eat at all the night before. My parents decided to let kadie have a little fun before this major surgery, and took her to a small playground in the hospital. While they were there, a little girl gave Kadie a bag full of Cheetos. My parents didn’t see the bag of Cheetos until it was too late. Kadie smiled and had a bright orange Cheetos stain around her mouth. The doctors then had to reschedule the surgery to the next day. The bag of Cheetos is now framed, and hanging in the living