Where there's a WILL there's a way!

Last year, a little boy joined the Sunday school class I co-teach.  His name is Will.

Will is silly.  Will is funny.  Will has a bounce in his step that will make any teacher of 4 and 5 year olds grin.  It's that kind of bounce that screams "I am ALL BOY!"  Will loves to laugh, loves to pretend to be a super hero.  His smile these days shows off the space where he's pulled a tooth, that snaggle-toothed grin of a little boy who you would imagine has a pocket full of dirt and rocks.  Will is compassionate and tender, gentle and kind.  It's easy to love Will because his heart is as big as his fun personality.  Will loves to squish play-doh, play with the cars and truck, build with blocks and dress up like a soldier or imaginary characters.

Will is a little different than the rest of the kids in our class, though.  Will was born with a rare problem that I can't spell or pronounce, so I won't even try.  It affects 1 in every 1.5 million people.  What it boils down to is that Will was born without hands or feet.  He is 100% perfectly healthy and on track in every other way, though!

Most of the kids who surround him in our class don't even realize that Will's hands or feet are different from theirs.  Children are like that.  (Don't you wish adults were?)  They just don't spend their time checking out each other's hands and feet.  They see a curly headed blonde boy who likes to play with the cars and trucks with them.  Period.  It's not until they have to circle up for a game and hold hands with the person next to them that they even realize there is an issue.  And most of the kids don't question it then either!  They just hold onto Will and make a circle!

Will's family has been visiting Scottish Rite Hospital for Children for all of his life for treatment, surgeries, therapy of all sorts and prosthetics that Will uses to walk.  As far back as Will can remember, Scottish Rite has been part of his life.  It is an amazing place for families who have kids like Will.  They provide treatment for children with all sorts of orthopedic disorders and differences, regardless of the family's ability to pay!  What a blessing!  The hospital's website can be found here:  http://www.tsrhc.org/

This December, Will's family and friends will join thousands of others in fundraising for Scottish Rite through their annual run/walk/race!  If you'd like to find out about joining them, whether by running, donating or being a part of their prayer team, check out Will's family's blog site about him:  http://wheretheresawillrace.blogspot.com/

After all, where there's a WILL there's a way!