The Scarlet Ibis

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1. 
   pmiranda2857 Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   Doodle is mentally and physically retarded. According to the story, Doodle is born brain damaged which causes him to have underdeveloped muscle coordination.  He cannot walk. His heart was weak.  He had little physical strength. The quote refers to Doodle being born in a caul, or a membrane that surrounds a baby's head. 

   "He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's.  She said he would live because he was born in a caul,  and cauls were made from Jesus' nightgown." (pg. 1 Hurst)

   "The doctor said that with his weak heart this strain would probably kill him". (pg. 1 Hurst)

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/scarlet-ibis-characters

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   Posted by pmiranda2857 on Saturday May 31, 2008 at 3:18 AM
   
   

2. 
   linda-allen Teacher
   High School - 10th Grade

   From the description of Doodle as being "all head," he might have been born with a birth defect called hydrocephaly. Normally, spinal fluid is produced inside the brain to cushion and protect it. Babies born with hydrocephaly produce too much spinal fluid, which causes their heads to grow too large. Often growth of the head can be controlled with a permanent shunt that drains the excess spinal fluid into the stomach. However, the child will most likely have learning disorders. If the child doesn't receive the shunt, then the head will continue to grow, and the excess spinal fluid will put too much pressure on the brain. Life expectancy would not be long.

   I know a young man who was born with this condition. Sadly, his birth mother abandoned him when she saw what he looked like, but he was adopted by wonderful parents who made sure he got the shunt surgeries he needed. He is legally blind, and he has a low IQ, but he is able to take care of himself. He went to auto/diesel school and has a career as a mechanic.

   Visit the links below for more information on this birth defect.

   Sources:

   http://www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/35471/Nav/1/router.asp

   http://www.medfriendly.com/macrocephaly.html

   http://www.nbdpn.org/current/2007pdf/Hydrocephaly_Eng.pdf

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   Posted by linda-allen on Saturday May 31, 2008 at 3:58 AM
   
   

3. 
   jazlyn Student
   High School - 9th Grade

   he has a heart problem that he will not live that long

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   Posted by jazlyn on Thursday October 2, 2008 at 11:13 AM
   
   

4. 
   mia69 Student
   High School - 9th Grade

   he had a heart problem and they knew he was not goin gto live long..

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   Posted by mia69 on Monday October 6, 2008 at 11:11 AM
   
   

5. 
   desiree123 Student
   High School - 9th Grade

   "He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's.  She said he would live because he was born in a caul,  and cauls were made from Jesus' nightgown." (pg. 1 Hurst)

   it was not a specific disease....he just wasnt fully developed when he was born =]

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   Posted by desiree123 on Monday October 13, 2008 at 2:32 PM
   
   

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