Raising God's Rainbow Makers: The Braces, the Toe, and the Truth-Teller
Precerpt from Raising God’s Rainbow Makers (Mahlou)
The Braces, the Toe, and the Truth-Teller
Noelle had waited a long time to stand. Not metaphorically—she had always stood tall in spirit—but physically, upright and proud, outside the confines of her stroller. At age four, after a series of surgeries and setbacks, she was finally fitted with long-leg braces. They gleamed like armor to her, not as a symbol of limitation, but of triumph.
We celebrated at McDonald’s. She stood in line with the rest of us, her braces clicking gently with each shift of weight. Then she noticed a woman across the restaurant, staring—not cruelly, just curiously. Noelle caught her gaze and lit up.
“Hi, lady!” she chirped, as if greeting an old friend. “You like my braces?”
The woman blinked, startled. “Oh—yes,” she managed.
“I’m so, so happy to have them,” Noelle said, beaming. “I waited a really long time.”
And just like that, the woman relaxed. Noelle’s matter-of-fact joy had disarmed her. They chatted easily, as if the braces were just another accessory worth admiring. Noelle had a way of making people comfortable with the truth—especially the kind most people tiptoe around.
It happened again when she transitioned to a wheelchair. People (yes, really) would ask if it bothered her that she couldn’t walk.
Her reply was always the same: “Does it bother you that you can’t fly?”
They’d blink, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” she’d explain, “you’ve never flown, so you don’t know what you’re missing. I’ve never walked, so I don’t know what I’m missing.”
She didn’t say it with bitterness. She said it with clarity. With logic. With the kind of perspective that left adults speechless.
Even doctors weren’t immune to her candor. When she caught her toe in the spoke of her wheelchair and nearly tore it off, the surgeon tried to offer comfort after the removal.
“Are you missing your toe?” the doctor asked gently.
Noelle shrugged. “Yep. It’s all gone!”
No tears. No drama. Just truth.
Later, when an infection reached the bone and her leg had to be amputated, the orthopedic surgeon approached the conversation with caution, explaining that there was no other option.
Noelle listened, then nodded. “Well, you might as well have it. It’s done me no good all my life.”
She meant it. She wasn’t being brave for anyone else’s sake. She was simply being Noelle—direct, unflinching, and free of the sentimentality others tried to project onto her.
She didn’t mourn what she never had. She didn’t grieve what she couldn’t use. She celebrated what worked, what helped, what allowed her to move through the world with dignity.
And in doing so, she taught the rest of us how to stand taller, too.
Book Description:
A Family Memoir of Grace, Grit, and Growing Up Different
What happens when a military family welcomes four children—each with wildly different needs—into a world not always built to support them?
In Raising God’s Rainbow Makers, one mother shares the remarkable journey of raising two children with complex disabilities—one with spina bifida, one with CHARGE Syndrome—and two intellectually gifted children, all born in different states during years of military life. Through medical crises, educational challenges, and societal roadblocks (both intentional and unintentional), this honest and inspiring memoir tells the story of how one family built a life of strength, compassion, and resilience.
With warmth and unflinching honesty, the author reflects on emergency surgeries, IEP battles, unexpected victories, and the fierce sibling bonds that formed in the face of it all. The children—now grown—bear witness to the power of support, faith, and never giving up.
This is not just a story of survival. It is a celebration of difference, a chronicle of hope, and a powerful testament to what love and determination can build when the world says "impossible."
Keywords:
Parenting memoir; Special needs parenting; Raising children with disabilities; Military family life; Family resilience; Inspirational family story; Faith-based memoir; Coping with medical challenges; Sibling support stories; Gifted children; Spina bifida; CHARGE Syndrome; Hydrocephalus; Congenital disabilities; Complex medical needs; Pediatric neurosurgery; IEP and special education; Gifted education; Educational advocacy; Inclusive education; Hope and healing; Courage and strength; Love and perseverance; Raising different children; Disability acceptance; Parenting through adversity; Overcoming barriers; Finding joy in hardship; Special needs journey; Family unity and support; For parents of disabled children; For parents of gifted children; For educators and therapists; Christian parenting memoir; For families facing rare diagnoses; Real-life parenting stories; Memoirs about raising children; Stories of medical miracles
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