central cord syndrome. The pain was excruciating and required morphine to control it. Sometimes it was so unbearable14 she had to bite down on a toothbrush to take her mind off it. As the days dragged on, feeling returned to her left side, but she was still paralyzed on the right. We didn't know for sure how much of her movement would ever come back.
I believe Kendall wanted the American Idol audition so much that she willed herself to move again. One of her friends brought a microphone to the hospital and put it on her bed. Every day, Kendall tried hard to pick it up with her right hand. It was more important for her to pick up that mic than a spoon or fork.
The only reliable criterion of truth is always to be consistent.
Sometimes we all cried because of the pain we witnessed. But on the day Kendall walked into the stadium to audition for American Idol -- a mere15 three months after her accident -- we cried tears of joy. And our tears turned into shouts when she was given a golden ticket to Hollywood.
As a parent, you always think your child is the best ever -- that's just what parents do. But after seeing Kendall perform, I know she's one of the best, even though she didn't make it into the Top 24.
Kendall is eighteen now, living every day to its fullest. She's recorded a CD with some of John Mellencamp's band members. She's also on CMT's Music City Madness for an original song and video, and is having some good success. I'm absolutely sure she's going to make it big some day. Kendall just puts it all in God's hands.
When she was a little girl trying hard to be strong, she looked up at me, her big eyes brimming with tears, and asked me why she had to have Tourette's Syndrome. My heart ached to make the world right for my child. But I looked right back at her and told her the truth as I see it.
"Kendall, God gave you a pure heart, an angelic voice, a strong mind, and a beautiful presence. With all of that, he had to make it fair for everyone else."
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