My cousin is about to birth a child with a confirmed brittle bones. How do I treat this child when they enter this world?
I (M26) write this with a heavy heart and even heavier bones.
My cousin (F29) married a man (M30). A cop. Someone whose entire job is chasing criminals, tackling people, and generally existing in high-impact situations. You would think such a profession would select for calcium and good bone density. You would be wrong.
Last week, during a foot pursuit, this man tripped. Tripped. And shattered his wrist. Not a little crack. Not a “maybe it’s just bruised.” Shattered. So broken that he cannot even perform menial desk work at the police department.
He fell on his own wrist while chasing a criminal.
I cannot stress this enough: the criminal did not even touch him. Gravity, a slight downward slope, and his own pathetic skeleton did the work.
My cousin is currently carrying this man’s child (M0). A son. A son who will almost certainly inherit these brittle, chalk-like genes. I fear for the future of this family. I fear for the day that boy tries to open a stubborn jar and his radius simply gives up.
But how do I treat this soon to be born child? I know he has tainted blood, and the potential to be a BBB too like his father. Should I look down upon his child when born? Or do I coddle him and ensure that he does not shatter his own pelvis when learning to walk?