By Wendy Parker
Managing Editor

This is the fourth in a series of articles on Molly Jimerson who has cerebral palsy.

Dressed as Bat Girl, 12-year-old Molly Jimerson recently attended the fifth-grade Halloween dance at Swift Creek Elementary School. Molly’s older sister Jessica took her to the dance – and remained. Jessica, 16, says she volunteered to chaperone her sister because she thought it would be cool for Molly to have her older sister chaperone rather than her mother. Jessica’s
magnanimous gesture is just one of many examples of how family members pitch in day and night to help Molly who cannot walk or talk.

When Molly arrives home from school, like her siblings – and her mother Jennifer Peers who is studying social work at Virginia Commonwealth University – she has homework to do. But often times when an aid is unavailable, homework for Molly means extra homework for her parents and siblings.

“When my homework is really hard, I don’t mind coming downstairs to help Molly,” says Jessica. “But we get so frustrated, because her homework takes a lot more time than any other 12-year-old’s.” For example, the instructions for one of Molly’s assignment sheets read: “Write the answer.” Because Molly is unable to write, a great deal of time is spent in finding ways that Molly can complete an assignment, especially if answers are not multiple choice or available on her DynaVox, a special computer that can be programmed to assist with communication.
“Molly is so patient while we try to figure it out,” says Hannah, 13.

Molly’s stepbrother, Adam, 14, helps out as well. “If someone’s doing something, and Molly is falling down on the couch, I’ll help her straighten up,” he says. “At dinner, I’ll sit and make her laugh and fool around with my food.” Adam takes after his father, Graham, in providing comic relief. “Molly thinks Graham is hilarious,” says Hannah. “She loves it when someone gets in trouble.”

Jessica says that after homework and dinner, she’d rather help Molly get to bed, than to do the dishes. She helps Molly brush her teeth, shower, dress, and into bed. Hannah helps, too. “She’s not a baby,” says Hannah, “and the hardest part is lifting her because she’s the same size as me.” There is also playtime, like bopping each other with a stuffed animal. “We have a lot of laughs,” says Hannah.

Even Paisley, the family’s 7-year-old dog helps out. When Molly’s mouth is particularly sore after a visit to the orthodontist, Paisley climbs onto the couch or bed with Molly. “Sometimes, he’s the best comforter,” says Peers.

And on occasion, when sibling rivalry comes into play, Peers takes time to discuss the issue with the children. “For a parent, it’s hard when you’ve got multiple children, and you want to give all of them your time. It looks like Molly gets more attention, but Molly has people come in to assist, and I do have more time with the others,” says Peers. “There is a lot that Molly doesn’t get to do, so it all evens out.”

Because of the extra involvement with her sister, Hannah says, “I’m glad I’ve learned more responsibility, but it’s not that different than having another sibling. I couldn’t imagine if Molly were like us – it’s always been like this and it’s always normal to me.”

The Peers are extremely proud of their children for their routine help with Molly. “They are really exceptional kids,” says Peers. “They pick up very easily and are quick to ask, ‘Do you want some help with something?’ I don’t see that with kids in general.”

Praise goes both ways, and Jessica is equally proud of her mother. “I’m really happy to know that Molly was born to a mother who cared enough to put enough pressure on the school board to accept Molly as she is,” says Jessica. “She wanted Molly to get the education that everyone deserves. There are children like Molly who are living in their cribs, but Molly has everything only because she has a mother who put the energy into making Molly’s life fair. If any one of us got some kind of brain injury, our mom would make sure we’d be in the same school. She would fight a war for us.”