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Warrior: a person who fights in battles and is known for having courage and skill
I often refer to Iris as my little warrior. She has experienced a level of physical trauma that at once rocked my core .. but ultimately took me on a spiritual journey that strengthened my faith, adjusted my outlook, and forged my purpose.
We spent the past week on the Big Island for spring break. It has been one of the best vacations of my life. To watch Solana and Iris explore nature, take in the rich and colorful history of Hawaii, and push their physical boundaries, has been pure joy.
Physical activity does not come easy for Iris. She spent the first four years of her life in a crib. The muscle atrophy she developed, combined with her heart defect and tracheal stenosis, left her little body underdeveloped and weak. When we were first united, her breathing was labored .. at rest. She had no muscle strength for anything beyond a slow walk. She couldn’t climb steps, skip, hop, kick a ball, or run.
She now does all of those things, and, as of this afternoon .. swims! She has been swimming regularly as part of physical therapy, but she always wears a life jacket or water wings due to her muscle weakness and respiratory limitations. She has longed to swim without them. She frequently tells me that she dreams of being a great swimmer. And if there’s one thing I know about my little warrior .. her body may not be the strongest, but her determination is.
This afternoon she decided to give it a shot, and that moment turned into two hours of swimming. Solana was cheering for her and offering high-fives .. and Iris was beaming with pride. Iris doesn’t believe in playing small in life .. because she now has a choice. She doesn’t remember much about the first four years of her life, but she remembers being weak. Her surgery not only strengthened her heart, but it opened the world up to her. She now has a body that wants to be tested. She’s acutely aware of her limitations, but, at six years of age, she also knows that life is best experienced by challenging those limitations .. or better yet, proving they don’t exist.
Here we are in front of Kilauea:
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… and my little warrior swimming!
Tomorrow we head back to the NW, feeling rejuvenated, and incredibly blessed.
Aloha,
The Hickey Girls
Iris Upon A Star 