First Tractor Experience

Not my first experience.....the grandson's. Well, sort of! Newer tractor, younger boy, lawn tractor category at that. Not exactly an antique tractor or old tractor story but to me, I had fun yesterday just watching a small boy playing the "Big Time" role.

My grandson was born prematurely with what is known as Noonan's syndrome and was only around 3 pounds when he was born. The Noonan's Syndrome was not diagnosed immediately but when it was, treatment suggestions began. In short, Noonan's Syndrome typically results in individuals with slow growth rates and without growth hormone injections, there is little chance that male patients would grow beyond 5 feet tall.

This was the case for my grandson. He was way underdeveloped for a long period of time until he was diagnosed and began the hormone injections. There are other traits that are typically present in Noonan's Syndrome patients but smallness in size is the predominant feature. If you want to learn more about Noonans, Syndrome, you can visit: The Noonan Syndrome Support Group, Inc.

At any rate, back to the tractor ride. My grandson had been begging me to let him drive the tractor for a couple or three years now but with the safety feaures built in to my John Deere lawn tractor, if you don't sit firm in the seat, the tractor will shut off. Up until this year, my grandson didn't have long enough legs to reach the pedals and still be able to sit firm enough in the seat to keep the tractor running. This year was different. With the hormone injections in the past, the results allowed him to grow tall enough that he could now reach the pedals this year......and he knew it!

So, yesterday he got to get in his first real tractor experience. He is a 14 year old with a body of a ten year old but with the heart of a lion. I have never been so proud of his perserverance. For him, that lawn tractor ride made his day and soon after the picture was taken, he was on his way to the next conquest.