No Other Choice

God allows us to be in situations and circumstances of which we have NO control. These times allow us the opportunity to build trust in God as well as relationship with God. There is simply nothing humanly possible that we can do except believe. Believe that God is exactly who He says He is. Believe that God will do exactly what He says He will do. There is none like Him.

My six year son, Tevin, was diagnosed with X-linked childhood cerebral type adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Here is what we faced in our "no other way" situation.

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a genetic disorder that causes damage to the myelin sheath, an insulating membrane that surrounds nerve cells in the brain.

Symptoms or Childhood cerebral type:
•Changes in muscle tone, especially muscle spasms and spasticity
•Decreased understanding of verbal communication (aphasia)
•Deterioration of handwriting
•Difficulty at school
•Difficulty understanding spoken material
•Hearing loss
•Hyperactivity
•Worsening nervous system deterioration
◦Coma
◦Decreased fine motor control
◦Paralysis
•Seizures
•Swallowing difficulties
•Visual impairment or blindness

Treatment
A specific treatment for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is not available.

Prognosis
The childhood form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is a progressive disease that leads to a long-term coma (vegetative state) about 2 years after neurological symptoms develop. The child can live in this condition for as long as 10 years until death occurs.

Due to the nature of the disease the symptoms were inevitable. There was no cure.This particular condition that Tevin faced left us with two choices. We could either give in to the situation or cry out to God. As Christians we truly had ONE choice. We had no other choice but to trust Him.

All I know is that He is awesome.