StemCell Therapy

Tyson Graham sits in a small room with a keyboard. His fingers move across the keys with the ease of a professional pianist though Tyson is only 11 years old.

That was beautiful, he says as he finishes writing a piece, a smile forming on his face. He listens to a piece of piano music and plays it back nearly perfectly without ever seeing the music. At the age of 9, he was given a full scholarship to a gifted school of music in Salt Lake City.

The music is in him, said his mother Laura. He has a hard time vocalizing his feelings but he speaks through his music.

Despite playing his beautiful music, Tyson cannot see the keys. He and his brother, Landon aka Dino, are both completely blind from retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP, and have cerebral palsy. They also both love music. As Tyson plays in the keyboard, Landon squeals with delight in the next room as he hears the sounds.

Thats a happy scream, Laura explains. Landon is nonverbal and the family has learned his sounds. Tyson smiles as he hears his brothers joy.

The two are perfectly in sync. When Landon is sad, Tyson will go check on him and make sure he is okay. And when Tyson is having a rough time, Landon will lay with him to cheer him up.

They dont like when the other is upset, I dont think they even understand what fighting is, explained parents Laura and Jared.

Today, Landon is working with the physical therapists at the Now I Can Foundation in Provo. The Grahams came from their home at Hill Air Force Base near Ogden to be at the center, which provides traditional and intensive therapy sessions that last three to four weeks long.

The first time we came, Landon would lay in the bathtub and we could wash him, explained Laura. After that he would stand and hold the rail, it was worth it just for that.

Now, he is working on walking with less assistance. Due to his condition, one of Landons legs is inches shorter than the other. Along with his cerebral palsy and blindness, he lacks the confidence to walk alone. At the center, the physical therapy team works with the children to gain confidence in themselves along with learning new everyday skills. On Tuesday, Landon will graduate from this three-week section.

We have never told them they cant do anything, said Laura. My goal is for them to reach whatever height they can achieve.

Together, the two show talents incredibly beyond their ages, Tyson through music and Landon through engineering things, taking things apart and putting them back together again.

Life for the Graham family has been anything but easy. Jared is a member of the U.S. Air Force and was previously deployed when the boys were younger to serve his country. During his deployment, Laura learned how to handle the boys on her own. I learned to just do it, she said. There are times when I dont want to be a nurse, but I do it with love and joy because that is the option. The boys have a nightly three-hour routine involving g-tubes and medications and medical activities.

They have a warrior spirit to them, explained Jared. Theyve had so much done to them their entire life but they never complain. We have a little bit of heaven in our house.

As therapy continues, Landons walking improves and he walks while only lightly holding someones hand for a while. Laura beams at the progress he is making.

Theyre incredible human beings, said Laura. Theyre not giving up and we arent either.

Read more from the original source:
A little bit of heaven - Twin boys with blindness share love of music - Daily Herald

This entry was posted on June 19, 2017 at 5:42 pm and is filed under Blindness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |