Stevenson Buffalo Calf

My hero is Stevenson (my little brother). He is 6 years old and he has osteogenesis imperfecta (O.I.), brittle bone, type 4. And is the strongest kid I know.

Stevenson Buffalo CalfMy mom  

Ever since Stevenson was born, he has changed our lives and the way we see things. He is not my only brother. I have two more brothers, Darius (11) and Dominic (9). Both try their best to help me and mom take care of Stevenson, like watching him when we’re busy or checking every now and then to make sure he’s in a safe and comfortable position. My mom stays at home to make sure Stevenson is always safe and everyone can make it to school on time. We all do our best to tend to and help Stevenson whenever we can. With his condition we all have to be on guard and calm if he does break, which we all make sure doesn’t happen again.

Me, Stevenson with Darius and Dominic My mom 

Stevenson’s condition makes it hard for him to get around much without help, though he can still move. It’s often best to help if he wants up on a couch or the bed, with O.I. Sometimes the slightest shift in weight or a sudden spaz can often mean a broken forearm or leg. We always have to be attentive to him and make sure he gets what he needs. Since he can’t move around on his legs, that means we have to move him in a wheelchair so he can be with else when he can. He doesn’t get to go outside without supervision from me, my mom or my brothers. Stevenson seems to know he has a disability and will move slow to be sure of himself in a situation when he wants to move. He is always trying to be active in his own way, crawling back and forth or rolling around.

Stevenson is important to me because he is my brother and an icon for O.I. In our town, lots of people know about his condition and he has spread an awareness of sorts. He has taught me to always be strong and help others when they cannot help themselves and always be patient with other people because they may have a disability or a condition that brings them down a bit. He’s always been so strong and brave when going for checkups or to get a cast and treatment for when he does break. He knows the process and he is always calm because he knows it needs to be done to help himself.

So to conclude Stevenson is important to me because he is my brother and has taught me that others have it rough too and that some people often get the short end of the stick but can learn to live with it.