Precerpt from Raising God's Rainbow Makers: Baby Shane Breaks His Arm
We had a weekend free when Shane was about six months, learning to walk and I was stationed at Ft. Devens. MA. We decided to take the 2-hour trip north to my childhood home in Maine, where dozens of relatives still lived. It would be the first time that most of them saw Shane, and quite a crowd gathered at our old farmhouse.
Unbenownst to the adults in the group. two of the teenagers had taken baby Shane upstairs, walker and all. We found out about it when he heard a thump-thump-thump as Shae and walker bounced down the stairs. The walker provided some protection, but he lay stunned, still in the walker at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up and said the only word he knew at the time, "Oh-oh!"
It never is a good sign when a baby's first word is oh-oh. We picked him up off the floor, made sure he had no bruises or cuts. None. But he kept repeating oh-oh, so we took him to the local hospital in nearby NH.
By golly, he had a broken arm! The doctors wrapped it and put it in a sling, and when we returned to Ft Devens, the medical team went into overdrive, like they had been drinking all weekend and came to work with only half-sober brains. They accused us of deliberately breaking the arm because the fracture was a "twist type" and appeared to have healed more than the four days it took us to get an urgent appointment. Of course, it was; of course, it had. He bounced down 15 stairs, twirling in his walker, and four days had passed. What happened to their little logical brains? Well, the logic seemed to have been left somewhere behind that day. They actually wanted to launch some kind of proceedings against us. Ah, do-gooders who often do more harm than good because they cannot wait for the facts or do not want to listen to the facts.
The pediatrician, who knew us well, especially from his work with Noelle, who was constantly in the hospital for one spina bifida related reason or another, came to our rescue. He reached out to the New Hampshire hospital and got the original x-ray, which showed a fresh break on the day we brought Shane in.
As for that "healed too much," that is a trait Shane inherited from my father, who was a rapid healer. I inherited that trait. So did most of my kids. Cuts, scratches, and other typical childhood injuries healed overnight. Childbirth? I was out of the hospital in less than 12 hours -- up and walking and feeling fine. And little Shane's arm had healed so much in four days that it looked like an "old" wound but was not.
The turmoil died down with the pediatrician's intervention. And Shane's arm? Completely healed in something like two weeks. That quick-heal ability has followed him all the days of his life...so far. And at least, has not gotten anyone in trouble again!
Book Description:
Raising God's Rainbow Makers
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
For more posts about Elizabeth and her books, click HERE.
Read more stories -- and photos -- about the Mahlou family in the blog (no longer maintained), Clan of Mahlou.
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