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Family Of Easter Seal Ambassador Strives
To Turn Handicap Into Positive Experience
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.)
Spinal bifida. The diagnosis sent
an icy chill of dismay through
Gary and Rita Witmyer when their
first child was bom five years ago.
Today the Witmycr’s Manheim
home bubbles with laughter, joy
and action. Garrison’s accom
plishments have far exceeded doc
tors’ prognosis. Recently he was
chosen Lancaster County’s Easter
Seal Ambassador.
Despite Garrison’s achieve
ments, the past five years haven’t
been without tears, pain, and hard
work.
Spinal bifida is the failure of
spinal bones closing properly and
paralysis results.
When Garrison was only one
day old, he had the first of seven
operations within six months of his
life.
“It was so hard.” Rita recalls.
“Being a registered nurse helped
me to understand medical termi
nology, on the other hand, I knew
all the things that could go wrong.”
When Garrison was only seven
days old, something did go wrong.
Doctors had closed the opening
caused by spinal bifida, but pres
sure built up in Garrison’s brain
causing hydrocephalus. Doctors
inserted a shunt or pressure valve
betwen the brain and a major blood
vessel to help drain the fluid.
Doctors warned the Witmyers
that Garrison would never walk,
not even with crutches, that child
ren bom with these disorders are
often brain damaged, but the Wit
myers clung to faith in God for
their son’s total wholeness.
Rita recalled the joy she and her
husband felt when Garrison was
only a week old. She was nursing
him when Gary crumpled up a
piece of paper and tossed it into the
waste can. Garrison stopped nurs
ing and turned his eyes toward the
sound.”
“At least he can hear,” Rita rejo
iced. From the beginning the
parents noticed that Garrison fol
lowed them with his eyes. Time
has confirmed that Garrison suf
fers no brain damage. Unusually
bright, he learned to talk and do
many tactile skills at,an early age.
But “being bright” didn’t fill die
void that every parent desires—“a
child completely whole.”
“You want to see your child
develop normally. To walk and run
and grown independent,” Rita
said.
Doctors said those things would
never happen for Garrison.
In addition to spinal bifida,
which has an accompanying
muscle and nerve weakness in the
hip area that prevents bowel and
bladder control, he was bom with
out hip sockets and with club feet.
Corrective surgery was performed
on his feet, and he was fitted with
braces to straighten his legs.
Garrison learned to crawl by
pulling his body along with his
arms.
Gary built a circular-shaped
table that enabled Garrison to
stand without falling when he was
two-years-old.
When the therapist saw how
well Garrison could stand, he sug
gested they let him try crutches.
“Within two weeks,” Rita said, “he
was ripping around the house as
fast as any other 3-year-old.”
Today. Garrison enjoys the
same things most other five-year
olds do. He has a special tricycle
that he can operate with his hands,
and he is learning to ride a regular
ai. g leyer, the Lan
caster County Easter Seal ambassador, rotes to walk with
his crutches —something doctors nevariheught he would
do because he was born with spinal bifida and without hip
sockets.
one at the Easter Seals pre-school
program that he attends two days a
week. He also attends kindergarten
at Manheim Christian Day School
two days a week.
His school mates are intrigued
with trying out his crutches and
they like to help Garrison when he
needs it
He likes to pretend he is cooking
in his play kitchen. He likes play
ing in the sandbox and helping tils
dad in the work shop where Garri
son said, “He fixes lots of things.”.
The Witmycrs own a 15-acre
farm where they have horses,
sheep, mini lop rabbits, and show
chickens. Garrison enjoys helping
care for the animals.
“But you know what I like
best?” he asked.
Then without a moment’s hesi
tation, he anwered. “I love to
walk.”
It has been two years since Gar
rison learned to walk, and his
mother’s eyes glow as she watches
him. “I never get tired of watching
him,” she remarked.
With his hand-held crutches.
Garrison propels himself in long,
agile strides across the room.
The Witmeyers have a another
child, Gabrielle, 2, and another on
the way. “It is so wonderful to have
a healthy baby,” Rita said. “We are
enjoying watching her do so many
things.
Gabrielle and Garrison are close
friends and play well together.
“I teach her to do things,” Garri
son said.
As the Easier Seal ambassador
child, Garrison will attend public
functions to increase the public’s
awareness programs for special
needs children.
“Easter Seals is a terrific sup-
port,” Rita said. “The therapy and
training the program provides is
remarkable. And we are so grateful
for it” Every family with a hand
icapped child can benefit from the
counseling and programs that the
organization provides. The Lan
caster chapter can be contacted at
62S Community Way, Lancaster,
PA 17603.
But most of all, the Witmeyers
insist, “God deserves the praise for
all Garrison has achieved. We
know that and we want everyone
else to know it”
The Witmeyers are part of a
spiritual support group called
Parents of Handicapped Children,
that has helped them lean) to cope
by turning a disappointment into a
positive experience. If you are
interested in knowing more about
this group, contact the Witmeyers
at 2734 Pinch Road, Manheim, PA
17543.
iyer