The Holidays Through the Eyes of Jop (7)
The Holidays Through the Eyes of Jop (7)
“Even with my prosthesis, I can take part in everything”
For many families, December is a time filled with warmth, traditions, and togetherness. It’s no different for Jop, his parents, and his brother and sister. Together with his mother, Marloes, he’s looking forward to all the cozy December traditions that are just around the corner. They’re also looking back on a year full of wonderful milestones, but also an unexpected and painful incident that happened while they were on vacation.
Sinterklaas plays a big role in their family. “We always celebrate Gift Night in a big way,” says their mother, Marloes. “It’s a real tradition in our family.” Jop beams as he explains why this time of year is so much fun: “I get to put my shoe out every Saturday!” He does this together with his older brother Stef and his little sister Lot. And it’s always exciting to see what’s inside.
Jop also watched the arrival of Sinterklaas. Although he doesn’t find it “all that exciting anymore” these days. Still, that December magic is still in the air.
Christmas dinners and other traditions
Christmas and New Year’s Eve are always celebrated with the family. One of Jop’s favorite moments is the elaborate “wok dinner”: a family tradition where they fill the table with small bites, turn off all the lights, and enjoy a lavish meal by candlelight. “The table is absolutely packed with snacks,” Jop says enthusiastically. Marloes always finds it very cozy, too. “It’s so nice to be together,” Marloes says. “That’s what I like best about this time of year.”
There are festive occasions at school, too, like a big Christmas dinner with all my classmates. “Everyone brings something from home,” Jop explains. “It’s really fun—we all eat everything together. And it goes on late, so I get to stay up really late.”
A leg prosthesis in December
Marloes says that Jop hardly has to worry about his prosthesis during the holidays. “These days aren’t any more tiring for Jop. Of course, there are a lot of stimuli with all the holiday festivities, but that’s true for all children his age. We only bring a wheelchair along if we have to walk a long way.”
Slippery conditions in winter can sometimes be a challenge. “With his prosthesis, he might fall a bit more easily,” Marloes explains. “Of course, he has less traction and balance. But if it’s really slippery or if we have to walk through the snow, I just give him a hand. That works just fine.” Although Jop isn’t really a fan of snow. “Way too cold,” he says.
“There’s really nothing Jop can’t do,” says Marloes. Whether it’s school activities, games, or parties, he just joins in on everything.
Pride: From Learning to Ride a Bike to Earning Swimming Certificates
Over the past year, there have been plenty of milestones to be proud of. Jop learned to ride a bike without training wheels. And he earned his A and B swimming certificates, simply through regular swimming lessons. “That confirmed for us that we should always try things the normal way first,” says Marloes. “We don’t shy away from things right away.”
Broken knuckle
Swimming also led to a scary incident. During a vacation in France, Jop broke his stump while going down the slide with his brother. “That was a huge shock,” Marloes says. “They had collided on the slide. At first, we thought it was just bruised. Jop also said he wasn’t in much pain. But his stump swelled up, Jop couldn’t put his prosthesis on anymore, and if we accidentally grabbed him the wrong way, he’d scream out in pain. We were at a campground in France where it was 40 degrees, and at one point we thought: this can’t go on any longer.”
The family cut their vacation short and came home. The diagnosis was serious: a piece of bone had broken off and was lying completely separate from the rest of the bone. “The doctors weren’t sure whether to operate; they’d never seen anything like this before. In the end, after consulting with the orthopedic surgeons, we decided not to operate and to leave it as it was.” That turned out well. Jop recovered relatively quickly and was able to wear his prosthesis again after seven weeks. “Things are going really well now,” he says.
December is all about spending time together
For Marloes, December is all about connection. “The best part is simply that we’re off work and can be together, without any plans or obligations,” she says. Jop also enjoys the cozy atmosphere and, sometimes, just doing nothing. “During the holidays, I sometimes just love lounging on the couch all day in my pajamas without my prosthesis,” he says with a mischievous grin.
When asked what she hopes Jop will remember about these holidays, Marloes doesn’t have to think twice. “The warmth and togetherness. Being together, enjoying each other’s company. That’s what matters most to me.”