Bold textA Karate Kid

Dana Cole Jr.
A 10 year old boy who lives in Perris, Ca. Dana Cole, Dana was a 10 year old boy who loved karate. It did not matter what kind just as long as karate was in his words, kicks, screams and ooya"s.. this would be the age Dana's life would change for the better. Dana was born June 23,1994 and since he was a baby Dana would scream so loud that his mother Cynthia took him to see a doctor. Cynthia thought that her small son had colic which is gas on the stomach. Little did Cynthia know that Dana was having Petit mal seizures called absence seizures, which are seizures that are known to cause long periods of staring into nothing ,seeing ,hearing nor recognizing what was going on around him. Once Dana started pre-school the seizures became worse, and the teachers did not know what to do. they thought that Dana was a child who screamed and made his body stiffen with each cry because he was spoiled.  Cynthia would get notes, conferences, and so many calls at work to please come and "pick Dana up" it was at the age of 5 years old that one day as Dana sat watching television that Cynthia notice Dana staring out of space as she recalls. "I thought why is he looking like that"  Dana stopped on his own Cynthia checked Dana who was very warm and took his temperture which was high. I thought wow!! he does not even look sick,  but as Cynthia looked closer she saw that Dana was looking funny she said later. The next day I took Dana to his doctor who sent Dana and mom to a specialist, a neurologist, who took a series of tests, questions and long physical exams of Dana. I thought strange, because Dana showed no pain to needles no fear of the big MRI machines and other portable imagings. Dana was so relaxed during these tests and doctor visits that Cynthia thought, ok this is over. but the fevers and then headaces. Dana's eyes would get blood red on some days and he could not stand loud noises, fire trucks, or even voices. the doctors saw nothing they said. Although the syptoms of fever, headaces, blood shot eyes and crying was still there, it was not until the family moved to Texas and that is when the real pain began. I received so many letters from the teachers telling me that Dana needs to be on a ADHD OR ADD medication for his staring. I thought wow this is not good because none of these teachers were doctors nor had any of them been taught to diagnose ADHD OR ADD due to not being schooled or working in the medical field that presented what Dana was going through. it was here in Texas that Cynthia would find a neurologist that would do testing and exams, blood work on Dana, but who would diganose Dana with the petit mal seizures.. This doctor put his all into finding out what we were going through and sat down and laid everything out on the table. his doctor anwsered each and every question we had for him and assured us that this could be controlled with medication, and different therapies. I was so releived, and the doctors wrote letters, filled out forms, anything I asked, needed or wanted for myself and Dana this doctor gave over 100% I was also told that Dana can grow out of these seizures. petit mals are not life-threating unless you are under water or just in a seizure that you are not aware,but i had nothing to worry about, because I knew that My son would be fine. In the summer of 2004 the Cole family moved back to california. this is where a doctor would not follow the rules and place Dana on celexsa, Risperdal and other medications that were not even condusive to his stopping the seizures nor controlling them. in fact the meds had a adverse effect on Dana he began to develop breasts, hips and a higher voice and a diffrernt walk about himself which made him the target of the mose bizzare treatment from two teachers, and his own doctor of mental health that made his life almost come to an end. Dana was on a regiment of medications and as i started to research all of the meds I came across some interesting news concerning these meds especially the risperdal which does have female horomones in them that will cause young boys to develop breast tissues that cause enlargement to the breasts area and these horomones that produce female horomones will have boys at Dana's age at that time to function as a female. Do the medication company tell you NO!! does the doctors, this one did not!! how sad of my son to go around and be called some of the worse names and names that even he could not identify with all because we were not warned. by this time Dana was reaching his breaking point and came home and begged me to put hime in karate. I took Dana to a school and the karate class had there first meeting. I knew nothing of the style of the karate, or what this style repersented. I do know the next day as dana was coming home he was in tears about his own teacher telling him in front of the class a 10 year old that"I had a dog who had seizures I told my husband to put a cigar in his mouth and go put him to sleep" or the other teacher calling him a monkey because of his seizures.then we have the kids who got off the bus and called Dana names until I drove up. names i don't want to repeat. I comfort Dana and at that time i realized that this kid will not hurt again. That morning as I took my daugther to school i just happen to go another way home and there is a boy walking i asked myself why is that child all the way down here, you see, in that area there is nothing but the freeway openings and the railroad tracks. i looked closer and i see a boys hair cut neat nice chain on his neck, and a brown sweatsuit on with matching brown high top tennis shoes brand new. I looked then I called to Dana the kid did not look at me, I then made a u-turn and called again and said to me that is my kid! I drove a few feet up and got out, I said D.J. still walking head down and not seeing me. I step faster and touch his arm and said Dana.. he looked at me but not to me and tears were in his eyes and on his face, I asked him Baby what is wrong? he said to me I 'm going to go and die. i qucikly placed him in the car at first he resisted and i said Dana it's ok I'm here you're fine. Dana got in and I kept my arm on him drove home and called the hospital where i took him. yes he was placed there for the next week and after the doctors, specialist and social workers worked with him this kid comes home and goes straight into home schooling and karate. Dana started out as a white belt in the art of Okinawan Shuri Ryu this style of karate is one of the most second dangerous styles in the world. why that one? Dana and I both researched and found that with this karate dana would learn a sense of self, a need to live, a want to continue in his everyday activities and be the young man child that he was taught to be. we needed a therapy that would calm his soul and give him the confedence that he needed during his hard times.me, the sensi, freinds, and all in his karate class saw Dana come in there a boy looking down and he is now a 16 year old who is a sempi which is a assistant instuctor to the sensi, a jr. black belt now. a young boy who teaches other young kids to be all they can a boy who raised his grades wants to live, needs to live and had developed his body on his own into a fit body, Dana has been off all medication since 2006 and has not had another seizured, dana eats right, did all his therapies, learned how to get control of his depression, and only will take a tylenol for a cold now. Dana uses his karate knowledge in his eveyday life. dana hold the titles for 2 times world Champion, World Grand champion, California and Arizonia state Champion and california Grand Champion 2008-9, city of perris Champion New Mexico Nationals Champion 4th in the national for 4 times and many awards, the Dr.Martin Luther King award 2010, young patriot's award and other various awards from the Mayor of Perris, ca and the senator and councilman of California, also a special Nationals for the city of Ontarion 1st place for katas (forms) , kumite (sparring) , weapons kubodo and his newest is koshiki 1st in the 2010 Nationals and the city of Riverside, california as well as the city of Perris. am i proud of course, does this mean the end no dana wants to pursue a career in artuticual and to open his own dojo. dana continues to give back because he does know whats it like to be on the outside looking in as for now Dana is preparing to go to Texas in July 2010 for another round with world champion. I'm not at all concerned.Dana and I have so much support from friends, family, church and all the karate moms and his sensi. This form of karate works well for Dana he started his own regiment I just buy the excersie machines and do everything that will allow dana to feel and want to do the rest with his karate. will he hurt the back teasers no way says mom they now see him in the news papers and look up to him some have even apologized to him. all i know is that My son did this own his own and his continues to work harder, i know there is some where he's got tobe soon and it's not the end of a freeway or railroad track.