A Lovely Family Walk turns into a Painful Trip for Cassie

Yesterday we took our young beagle pup to the Lease-free park in Ancaster Meadowlands. Chris and I had to walk on either side of Cassie, sheltering her as she is deathly afraid of dogs. Charlie the Beagle pup loves to run and quickly made a pack with four large dogs and their owners. Every time a big dog ran up to Cassie Chris, Julia and I sheltered Cassie. We spoke to the big dogs, petted them and talked soothing to Cassie to show her she would be okay. We told her how to use a firm voice to say down if she did not want them too close. Cassie is almost 9 years old but we learned some insightful information after going through psycho educational developmental testing this summer. Cassie developmentally tests around the age 5 years 3 months to 6 years 4 month. Finding this out helped me understand and put into perspective Cassie's recent behaviors at home. Chris and I were both getting frustrated with her bedtime routines, not sleeping through the night, crying spells and unrealistic fears. We went to a Social worker and have some behavioral strategies that seem to be putting us all at ease. I have found that using strategies that work for 5-6 year olds work wonderfully for behavior modification for Cassie. It does not matter what her chronological age is right now it matters what she understands and responds too within her own life.
The family had a lovely walk and we met three other families and chatted on a cold, windy Autumn evening, we were all smiling, laughing and having a wonderful time. It was comical watching the groups of dogs play. After a long walk in the tall grass, we headed up a path towards a paved walk way and while talking and holding my hand Cassie's weak leg gave out and she went down hard on gravel and pavement. Right away her strong knee started bleeding and we saw a chunk of flesh missing. Cassie who does not react to pain well screamed and cried and Chris had to carry her all 90 pounds up the hill. We stopped at a Shoppers Drug mart and bought polysporin and band aids. Cassie reacted poorly to application of soothing medicine and had more freak outs about band aids. Julia worked hard to encourage her and assisted us to band aid her up. Cassie is really sore and bruised today. I actually verbalized to Cassie that it sometimes sucks to have Cerebral Palsy. Muscles let you down and co-ordination is affected. With big tears she readily agreed. Cassie's AFO is too small already in only 9 months. The Assisted Device program only pays for AFO's for children once a year. She will have to make do until almost a year. Her left foot is rolling over again on her and her balance is affected. She is going to go to a Mobility Clinic at Mcmaster Children's hospital and have a walking assessment with her braces on and off. Her Orthotist will make something permanently into her shoe (a lift) to even her out with her almost 2 cm leg length discrepancy. Then we will follow up with a Physiatrist Dr. Gorter. Dr. Gorter is my favorite of all Cassie's doctors (Dr. O'Toole ranked really high on my list as well). This Physiatrist thinks allot like I do. How quickly the evening changed. I understand that injury is a part of life for children (especially ones with with mobility problems) but Julia, Chris and I hate to see Cassie hurt. However, we can only be there to support, love apply band aids and kiss away the tears.