Death to Life: My Early Beginnings

James Geiger

I was born prematurely, 9 weeks early. I weighed just 1 pound 2 ounces and it seemed like my life was already over. But here I am today! Disability has never stopped me from living the life that I wanted to live — even if sometimes it’s hard. Disability has given me the opportunity to see life from a different perspective — one where there are few limits placed on what can be achieved or attempted in order to live a meaningful life. This blog post is about my early beginnings in this world; how life started for a child who was originally born dead.

It all began in Tacoma, Washington, in 1984, when my biological mother was using drugs and alcohol. My mother had health issues that necessitated my birth nine weeks early. I would be devoid of life when I emerged from her womb. The physicians were able to resuscitate me, thankfully.

They were aware that I had brain damage, but not exactly how severe it would be.

My mother knew she wouldn’t be able to care for me, so she put me up for adoption.

Meanwhile, in Maine, there was this married couple working with an adoption agency. The agency learned of me. The couple was informed of my birth difficulties by the agency, but because the wife was a nurse in the Army, they were not deterred. They flew to Washington right away to meet me. It turned out to be love at first sight. The father immediately remarked, “That’s my kid!” Then, after a while, they officially adopted me!