A Book by Daniel & Kristan Dow
He Feeds Dinosaurs
Seven minutes after birth. Three years later, a diagnosis. The signs they said to watch for weren't there.
Seven minutes after birth. Three years later, a diagnosis. The signs they said to watch for weren't there.
December 11, 2016. Seven minutes after birth, Elijah made his first sound. The doctors diagnosed hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy — HIE. They said it wasn't severe. They said he'd recover.
There was a list of things that might happen. Epilepsy. Developmental delays. Autism.
Elijah smiled. He laughed. He looked right at you. The commercials said no broad smiles by six months, no eye contact, no connection.
The speech didn't come. Doors got narrated. Toys lined up in rows he called tunnels. Spinning things. At three years old, the diagnosis.
A birth injury. A diagnosis. A kid.
The photo Daniel took in the hallway on the way to the NICU.
The commercials said no broad smiles by six months. Elijah smiled like this.
The signs they said to watch for.
Elijah and his dog.
The same eyes. Still looking. The EEG cap was checking for seizures.
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