Blow Reggie Blow

Blow! Reggie, Blow! describes the struggles of a young boy, Reggie, who is not fictitious but real. From the many disabilities in his life, he was able to gain courage and spiritual strength to survive. Through the love of his parents, and most importantly his relationship with God, he fought for equality and his love for music. Although he was faced with many obstacles, he continued to have faith in believing that one day, in spite of his disability, he would become victorious. Reggie is only one example of the many children who are picked at, and even talked about just because they are much different from other children. Reggie has "cerebral palsy," a condition caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain. He has a type of cerebral palsy called "ataxia" which is one of four classifications of cerebral palsy and occurs in less than ten percent of all cases. Victims of this disease deal with motor-skill disabilities as well as balance, visual, and auditory difficulties. It occurs in infancy or early childhood and permanently affects muscle development. Reggie is now a successful jazz musician and continues to achieve in most areas of his life. He has never given up although he has faced many obstacles. He was able to dream and face each obstacle head-on.