10/04/2020
On July 9, 1995, at 29 weeks gestation, I was born in Wichita, Kansas. My parents were told that I wouldn’t walk, talk, use the bathroom on my own, and so much more. Well, I came out crying….and peeing. My official diagnosis came at two years old, and what would follow was anything but easy — and I now have the perspective to say, nothing but worth it. I went through years of physical and occupational therapy on a weekly basis. I also regularly participated in aquatics therapy and equine therapy. I had six surgeries on my back, hips, tibias, fibulas, a hamstring release and an abductor release. I spent time in a wheelchair, walked with a walker, walked with crutches that hung from my arms, walked with two dowel rods wrapped in therapeutic tape and decked in school spirit, and now walk with one quad (four-pronged) cane. Cerebral palsy isn’t progressive, but I did struggle more with writing at length, with cold, and with changes in weather as time marched on into my high school days up to now.
Every day, I do things that are different from most people. I also do things every day that most people don’t have to do. I have a seat in my shower. I operate my car with hand controls. I wear braces in my shoes to keep my feet straight and provide stability and support as I walk. I carry many things in my left hand while my right hand controls my cane. I don’t walk quickly or quietly. But, I do live independently.
Sure, there are things I struggle to do or things I simply cannot do — my family and my close friends help with that. I did move nearly a thousand miles from what was once home, and thanks to family recipes, I kept myself alive. Now I’m back in my native Wichita, and I teach some of the finest students out there. My life has been full of the richest opportunities. I’ve met and been mentored by giants. I’ve seen many of my heroes up close. I’ve traveled to over half the states in the US and left the country twice. Not only did I defy the doctors by crying when I was born, I learned to sing and to love it. I have the finest group of friends on Earth, and a family that pushed my limits many times, all because they cared so much. (I did not feel that way at the time…)
Yes, cerebral palsy is a challenge unlike any other I’ve had to face. Being different is sometimes the equivalent of hell on earth… but other times, it’s heaven. My life, and what I’ve gotten to do, would not be as it is without cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy doesn’t define me, but it is a big part of me — and while it is my biggest challenge, it is also my greatest blessing.
