I haven’t written much about Jumby’s life before his arrival home with us for many reasons. The primary reason being the adoption has yet to be finalized due to the extreme sluggishness in which the wheels of bureacracy churn in these parts. The adoption officials in charge of stamping our adoption final and assigning Jumby with the Redneck surname are not keen on me publicizing some of the details of his past. So I’ve wisely held my tongue.

I will continue to keep his story under wraps until I have his birth certificate with his new name in my hot little hands because I can’t do anything to jeopardize his placement into our family fold. He’s already one of us and I don’t think I or my family could survive losing him.

Jumby didn’t have an easy life before he found his way to his forever home. His story is rather incredible and tragic, composed of the stuff that makes for an epic drama, made all the more incredible by the fact he survived and has since thrived.

But Jumby, my sweet new little man, is a hero. He’s my hero and a hero to everyone who knows the dark shadows that lie in his closet. He may not look like the hero Hollywood makes movies about or the hero legends are spun around and passed on for generations but he is a hero.

A blind, deaf, non-verbal, immobile real life representation of the true definition of heroism.

He even has his very own cape that velcros onto his dark blue pajamas. I made sure of that.

My little hero will never receive an award for his bravery, or have a street named in his honor. Heck, most people who see him won’t recognize the stoic grace he carries around with him every where he goes. But I do. I am his mother. Forever and always, Jumby is my little man.

My heart and my husband’s, and Fric and Frac’s heart’s as well, break every time we think about the trauma our Jumby has been forced to endure. As a mother, I find it hard not to spit fire and rage against the world, the people, who forced this path onto the boy who is now my son. I struggle to find the words to try and explain why such bad things happened whenever my older children ask me about it.

I can only tell them there is no such thing as fair in life.

My children have been forced to learn this lesson early on, with the sudden demise of their other brother. It saddens me that they can wisely nod their heads in acceptance. No child should have to learn that life has no boundaries, no fairness, and sometimes, sadly, no justice.

I can’t undo the damage that was inflicted on my son when he wasn’t my child. I can’t erase his pain or his suffering. There isn’t much I can do for this little boy other than to promise him a life filled with love, protection and safety for every breath his body holds now that he is a part of our family.

But this child, this boy who has seen hell and walked out the other side of it, riddled with scars from battles he never should have fought; he deserves more. Every child deserves more than what Fate has given him.

So when The Make A Wish Foundation offered to help Jumby’s dreams come true, you can bet the hairs on my chin I didn’t take more time than it takes to blink to agree.

It only seems fair after all, since Jumby made my dreams come true that I do what I can to help fulfill his.

On Friday, Jumby became an Official Wish Kid. Just like his big brother Shalebug did, years ago. Shalebug never got to use his wish; his time ran short before his dreams were able to come true.

But Jumby, my wee little hero-boy, will see his wish to fruition. It’s a small wish, not something significant or very meaningful to most, but to my child, it will make all the world of difference to him and remind him that wishes can come true, goodness does exist.

In a world where bad things happen all around us, to people too young to understand why, for children who live through greater hardships than most adults ever have to endure, the Make A Wish Foundation is there to give back to children the one thing life has often yanked away from them.

Hope.

The Make A Wish team has given my child the chance to dream like every child should be able to.

I can’t fix you Jumby, or erase the scars you bear on your body and soul. I can’t make you whole, the way you were once, but I can promise to be by your side as you walk your path and always help you chase your dreams.

Thank you Make A Wish Foundation, for helping me be able to do that for my child.

**To everyone who has ever donated and supported the Children’s Wish Foundation, I thank you as well. There are no words adequate enough to express what your kindness and charity provides to children like Jumby, to mothers like me. Thank you.**

Click either image to be directed to make a donation to help another child’s dream come true if you like.