Asta Philpot
Asta Philpot recently featured in a BBC documentary under the One Life Strand, titled “For One Night Only”. It courted controversy because it was about a taboo subject, sex and disability.
There is a lot more to tell about Asta’s beginnings.
Asta was born with a condition known as Arthrogryposis which means Joint contractures that develop before birth (prenatally) and are evident at birth (congenitally). A newborn with arthrogryposis lacks the normal range of motion in one or more joints.
In normal embryonic development, the joints begin to develop by about 5 to 6 weeks of gestation. There are joint spaces by 7 weeks, and the limbs can be seen moving by 8 weeks. This motion of joints is clearly essential to the proper development of the joints and structures around the joints. Limitation of joint motion before birth leads to joint contractures.
Asta’s condition is not down to any genetic condition and he can live a long and normal life.
Brenda, Asta’s mother had a normal pregnancy and even attended birth classes to have a natural birth, her first pregnancy with Simon involved a caesarean section. With Asta she was under a pioneering obstetrician (Dr Garcia who was all for natural births after C section. The night of Asta’s birth Brenda was admitted to North Miami General Hospital and the obstetrician was called. Unfortunately the Doctor on call wasn’t Dr. Garcia but a more conventional obstetrician, Dr Mensa, who wasn’t as sympathetic. Dermot, Asta’s dad, had also attended the birth classes and accompanied Brenda to the hospital along with their favourite music.
Brenda and Dermot were together during labour playing nice music to create the right atmosphere to bring their baby into the world, but they were really uncomfortable with the Doctor who was on call. However, time went on and suddenly they heard a loud commotion in the corridor outside the room and to their horror saw Dr Mensa collapsed on the floor after suffering a heart attack. He was rushed away by ambulance and Dr Garcia was called. Brenda carried on with labour for eight hours. Dr Garcia determined that she would have to have a C section as the baby started to get into difficulty. They were obviously not happy about what happened to Dr Mensa but they were so pleased to have Dr Garcia present.
Brenda was rushed into the operating theatre and Dermot and the midwife were left to wait and wait and wait, this went on for six hours. Eventually both Dr Garcia and Dr Telechea, the Paediatrician, came to see them with ashen faces. They said we have some terrible news for you, you have a son but he has been born with massive complications. The Doctors were visibly shocked and tearful. Asta was rushed off to Variety children’s hospital in South Miami for intensive care.
Brenda was sedated and new nothing about the birth. Dermot had to break the news to Brenda when she recovered from the operation when she broke down crying.
Dermot did not go to see his son, he was afraid to face him because of the description the doctors had given him and didn’t want to go anywhere near the hospital. By chance or fate the nurse looking after their son was a friend of the midwife and she passed on a message that Dermot should go and be with his son.
The drive to Variety Children’s Hospital although only 20 minutes away seemed like an eternity. When Dermot’s son was born they had requested that a name was picked the next day as Dr. Jefferies at Variety Children’s hospital had said that there was a chance that he would not survive the week. Brenda was still recovering from the operation so it was left for Dermot to choose. He remembered a story he had been told about a young spiritual Master from India in the olden days, the Master’s name was Ashata Bakra. Ashata was disabled from birth; Dermot shortened the name to Asta.
When he arrived at Variety Children’s Hospital he was led to a room with one cot in it, standing in front of him was a nurse with Asta in her arms, the nurse handed Asta to Dermot to hold. Dermot says that the whole room disappeared into Golden light and his legs shook with the amount of power that ran through him. A recollection came to Dermot about a wish he had made just before Asta had been conceived, he had been walking down Alton Road in Miami one evening and having a deep need for fulfilment had cried out to a bright star in the sky and wished for something to happen that would change his life, he realized at that moment that his wish had been granted, a star had fallen from the heavens.
Dermot was approached by the hospital authorities and told that they had secured a place in a children’s home for Asta without his consent. After this experience Dermot was having none of it and couldn’t wait to take Asta home. Asta was born in a lotus position with crossed legs and finger touching thumb on both hands.
Dermot couldn’t wait to go and see Brenda and tell her about Asta, he rushed over to North Miami general hospital to tell Brenda how beautiful their son was.
When Brenda was fully recovered both she and Dermot went to pick Asta up.
On the way home they drove over McArthur causeway and they noticed a large banner over the motorway which said in clear letters “Miami Welcomes Asta.” Brenda couldn’t believe it and was convinced that somebody ‘up there’ was giving her courage and hope. Dermot’s sister went back and took a photo of the banner which they have to this day. They found out later that ‘Asta’ stood for the ‘American Society of Travel Agents’. Was this just a coincidence, or had that convention been there that week as part of a divine plan? It made us feel that God was on our side!
As time went on life only got better, Asta had numerous operations to straighten out his legs so he could sit in a wheelchair, he made friends with “Bill Lehman” a well known Congressman. A story was done about them in the Miami Herald, titled “The Congressman And The Kid”. Bill authorised a flag to fly over the Whitehouse for Asta and ‘Lehman Causeway’ in Miami is dedicated to the Congressman. Asta still misses Bill who unfortunately passed away a few years ago.
Dermot says that Asta has changed his life and he says that waking up everyday has been a bonus since his birth. Asta never complains and his favourite saying is he loves life.
He is an actor, singer, motivational speaker, film editor and an expert in IT; although he has limited movement in his hands and arms he operates his computer with a mouth stick. Every work environment has benefited from Asta’s presence as he brings both light and happiness and has had many one to one’s that have changed peoples lives for the better.
For Asta having a sexual experience is one more step in his life. He has no judgements and he has formed a good friendship with the women he first lost his virginity to, they regularly write to each other. For anyone that does not judge Asta he has only love to give and there’s plenty of that.
He has given the world just a small snapshot into his life through his documentary. He wants to show the world that disabled people are more than objects of pity and charity cases and that they have a great deal to share if given the chance.