Reinaldo Olavarria Arrived in New York

Post date: Apr 30, 2017 7:56:44 PM

The Early Memories From Birth Until Five

The first is not a memory, but it is a reflection. It was through Puerto Rican Studies at Brooklyn College that I learned of the fact Eugenics Laws was in Place by the United States in my heartland of Puerto Rican, the land of my birth. So, when contemplating my disability, I am faced with the reality that my disability was by design and not by accident. The same holds true for one of my best friend. Born normal but ended up with a severed spine at birth. A child born to a Jewish Person and Puerto Rican was to be injured.

So too, another Puerto Rican child born in an era of Racism, during the time of colonial rule and oppression, yes, then you have a child born with a disability. And, the stupidest part is you contribute to the disability, then have to pay lifelong in benefits to the child and family you thought it was better off to be disabled. I think it is utter stupidity. But, it is racism. During the time of my birth, again, in a land fertile, the people could not eat and had to import, at high prices, the food they ate, while cash crops were being grown and exported, Coffee, Sugar, and Tobacco. Most of my family members, including dad, had diabetes because they would eat the sugar cane. Poor health care, no viable clinic in the country; So I was born, and, a disability was not by accident but by intent.

One of the first memories was of the spika cast [a cast enveloping both legs, with a cross bar above the knees] at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens NY. I had many surgeries there, the majority were unnecessary. I remember being scared at the saw that supposedly was dull and would not cut you. It was one of four to five surgeries that were unnecessary. Physical therapy should be preferred; Because, when you have orthopedic surgeries, usually, you fix one problem and end up with two to three other ones. But, most importantly you had a leg length difference, that was due to a deformed hip, but the doctors did not know that, so they lengthened one leg, and then that leg became bigger than the other, the lopsided mess that did not address the fact the hips were deformed and causing the problem. Wow.

A second memory was crying on the first day of school. I was sheltered. I did not have friends. I mean at the age of five I was still in diapers. So, I was home all the time. And, what happens when you get exposed to people at the age of five, is you panic, and that is not just a child thing, because my kids thrived and loved attended school at five. That was at United Cerebral Palsy in Queens New York. The next memory then was of being beat at UCP by Harold. He was the designated diaper changer. And, he just changed one, then, I pooped in the new one, and he got so pissed he started to hit. Wow. This is one memory I had.

Another memory was of MaryLu. It was nap time during kindergarten. We got to do some exploratory stuff under the blankets. The things you can do with straws. This is the intro. The first five years.

A memory that was not mine that was reported was my brothers marveled after getting off the plane and seeing snow for the first time as they arrived in New York. Back then Puerto Ricans always came to New York directly from the island. It is reported our family left the island to seek medical help for me.

Lastly, it was of Christmas, and going to the shoe boxes under the beds and finding my remote car. Somehow, I loved that car, and it disappeared mysteriously under the radiator. One time I had a flashing police car that disappeared to. Five brothers, three older ones. Go figure how things disappear.

A retold memory that was not mine was that my dad had me on his shoulders to carry me around, and I pooped on him, and he was so angry that the beat the living beegeezees out of me. My mom hated him after that because he did not understand. So, that is the beginning of the story. That is the first five years.

Opps, I forgot the most important memories, or series of memories of all. It was of the doctors always asking a child, of about five years old, what happened to you. And, having to translate for my mom. She would say Meningitis, and I would say would the doctors said, Cerebral Palsy. So, to date I am not sure if I was born okay with Meningitis of had cerebral palsy. I guess it was the lack of translator training at the age of 5.