Without a Word_ How a Boy's Unspoken Love Changed Everything - Jill Kelly [27]
At first it really bothered me that Jill and I could seldom be alone by ourselves or with our kids, but I got used to it. In fact, there were so many people coming in and out of the house that I eventually told everyone not to ring the doorbell anymore.
It didn’t take long for me to realize how important Team Hunter was to our entire family. We really were a team, and even though I wasn’t leading the way, I knew my son was getting the best care possible. Of course I wished the circumstances were different, but Team Hunter touched all of our lives in many special ways.
While not a therapist, nurse, or professional caregiver, there was one very special person who became a vital part of Hunter’s life and whose contribution to the change we all experienced was like an unexpected treasure. His name was Robert. Robert was the son of Elizabeth, Hunter’s physical therapist after Amy left to have a baby. When Hunter was three, Elizabeth brought Robert over to play, and a most extraordinary friendship was born.
Robert had no problem getting right down on the floor with Hunter and playing as if his heart would burst. Laughter would ring through the house when the boys were together, and there was no end to what they would dream up to do. The boys were�� boys, in the greatest sense of the word. Through Robert, Hunter could do all the things he wanted to do; through Hunter, Robert could imagine the most wonderful adventures. They were connected in a profound way, in the way that really matters. They were connected by love.
Here are Robert’s thoughts, in his own words, about his friendship with Hunter.
My mom is a physical therapist and started seeing Hunter when we were both babies. Before we even met, we started sharing our toys, using my mom as a shuttle service. I’d send some dinosaurs with her to use during therapy with Hunter, and he would send some Rescue Heroes back. When I was three, Mrs. Kelly invited me to come over during therapy to play with the toys in person. I was sort of nervous because I didn’t often meet kids, but I was also excited because I wanted to make a new friend. When I walked into the house, I hid behind my mother. Then we went into the playroom where Hunter was. I peeked out and saw Hunter. As soon as I saw him, I thought he was a good guy and hoped we would be great friends.
I realize now that our friendship was really special, but at the time Hunter was just a regular kid to me. Being friends with Hunter wasn’t different than being friends with any other kid on the block. He couldn’t talk, but he certainly didn’t have any trouble letting me know what he wanted to play. He’d blink his eyes or keep them wide open. He even waved to me a few times.
We did all of the things kids do—we played, talked, watched movies, read books together, and had lots of fun. We built forts in his family room and shone flashlights on the ceiling. We played card games. I couldn’t read Hunter’s mind or anything, but he seemed to really have fun when we were together.
My favorite day ever with Hunter was when we were outside on the deck playing with Silly String. We were playing Spider-Man and had these super-cool web-shooters. We both sprayed each other, then we sprayed Hunter’s nurse, then my mom, and then we had fun spraying Hunter’s little sister, Camryn. I didn’t have a little sister, so Hunter shared his with me. We had a great time! There was Silly String everywhere, but mostly on Camryn.
There were lots of ways Hunter and I were the same:
• We were the same age (almost).
• We were the same size. (We measured—but my feet were bigger.)
• We both liked horses, Spider-Man, and football.
• We were both smart and liked to read good books.
• We were always happy to see each other.
There were also some ways that Hunter and I were different:
• He had Krabbe Leukodystrophy;