2018 Reflections

Good Day Everybody,

I just want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope next year brings you a lot of joy!! It's been a good year for me, and I've been reflecting on it! I got on the Calgary Transit Access Appeal Board. Both of my films made it to the "Picture This" Film Festival held in April. I created an app with the help of some really smart engineering and design students at the UofC. The whole process took about seven months and was made possible by TOM (Tikkun Olam Makers). I even did an interview for Universal Access!

I tried skiing and absolutely fell in love!! I'm going to get back at it in the beginning of 2019! Trying new things is so good for my soul. I want to keep pushing my comfort zone and having new adventures, it's the only way to keep living and growing. Would you expect anything different from me? I also tried sailing this year and discovered that it's not quite my cup of tea... it's a little boring, so I won't be returning to that activity. I want to do something WILD next year... if you have any ideas please let me know!! 

Something I learned this year is that I need to be more forward with my thoughts, ideas, and opinions. This is true in my relationships as well as my professional life. I'm sure 2019 will give me plenty of opportunities to do so. One of my ideas is to turn my book into a play and have one of my friends be a part of that process. I don't know what that will look like, but that's part of the fun. 

What do you think about when you see someone who has a disability!!

Here are some questions for you that I want you to answer for yourself, and I would like you to be honest with yourself... 

Have you ever seen that show "What Would You Do"?

- Have you ever consciously mistreated someone? Or been a poor friend? 

- Do you know someone who has a disability?

- Would you say "hi" to someone on the street who has a disability that you don't know?

If I had the guts I would go up to someone and ask them "What do you think when you look at me"? Would they be honest with themselves and I? Or would they not and try to spare my feelings? 

If you want to answer:

Body

Good day Everybody!

I hope everyone had an awesome summer! I know I did. I went to B.C. and saw some of my family for a couple of weeks. Many of the people I visited I haven't seen in several years, so it was an extra special trip. 

I've received several comments from followers regarding my journey to walking; in particular they would like to see more videos of my progress. I am still working out but my walking is... well, it's hard to explain... I would love to keep on walking, but after my ministroke I went downhill. I have had a lot of pain in my lower back in the last couple of months so I went to the doctor and a chiropractor to help me out. As it turns out, my left hip sits higher than my right hip! So I have some extra padding on my right side (inside of a brace I have to wear full time). That's right, I have to wear my brace all day everyday. 

Right now I'm practicing standing on my two feet because that's what I can manage. My left leg often floats up when I try to stand because my quad muscle is very tight on that side. This season of life is teaching me to relax and take my time. What is your life teaching you these days? 

2018 Whoo hoo!!

I can't believe it's already February!! I am doing nothing at all!! I have to make a list of what I want to get done in the new year... I have been skiing every Sunday night! I sit in a sled-like bucket while someone ski's behind me, we're attached by two ropes. It's so much fun! I do jumps sometimes but I miscalculated it a bit last time and rolled over my head and landed on my side, lol.It feels like I am free for a couple of hours. I thought I would hate it because I hate cold weather, I have three more weeks of it and then it's over... But I'm hoping I get to go on a ski trip next month! It's a family day Canada Olympic Parc so I invited my friends, and sisters and their families to come see how I do it. I hope I can go back next year and try to ski on my own with poles. 

My Friday evenings are spent at the UofC where a team is working at building a speech assistance app for me. It's part of a program where designers and engineers collaborate with individuals with disabilities to improve their qualitiy of life. When I go out, people often have a hard time understanding me when I speak.... it sounds like I'm drunk, haha! I want to go back next year, I have been brainstorming new ideas for them. 

Wednesday's I'm working on a course offered through the library about how to make money off of writing. It's a good course and I like it! I was talking to a friend of mine on the weekend and she was telling a lady about me and what I'm up to. This young lady is doing a course at Bow Valley about disabilities so she gave her my name and all my information. I don't know for sure what this may lead to but I'm hoping to try some public speaking, a classroom would be a great place to start. 

I am waiting to hear back from the disability film fest... It's coming up in March so I'm assuming I didn't make it. But that's alright! I still want to go check it out and watch the other films. 

Last year I was a part of IDPD (International Day of Persons with Disabilities). I had a table set up with my writing and business cards and it was a blast! I would love to do more events like this in 2018. I want to widen my horizons and do more with my life. 

I have a lot of goals and I keep myself busy, I HAVE a disability but that's not WHO I am.


 I am Shawna Mattinson.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everybody!

I hope the New Year is good to you all! I'm sitting in the food court downtown, watching everyone get something to eat... I'm thinking about what is in store for me. I am starting off by writing a letter to the TD Square Core about the lack of accessible washrooms...

 They only have one in this mall and it's in the food court... on the fourth floor. I think it's stupid that they only have one washroom that's "accessible", and it's on the FOURTH FLOOR! I personally think they should have one on the bottom floor.. I mean what if access is late and I need to use the washroom? I don't have time to get in the elevator and go upstairs to go to the washroom.... Even when I go to the washroom I will often find someone using the only one accessible to me... usually it's someone quite "able-bodied" who comes out. I just think to myself "seriously? In this entire washroom you need to use THAT stall?" 

I realized this year that I want to take a stand for myself and others who are affected by the same situation(s)... I will no longer take these minor violations against my basic human rights lying down.... I think I have more letters to write!!  

I have a disability, but that's not going to define who I am...

There are a lot of things I can't do, I could make a whole list but I won't get into it. Beyond the things I can't do, I feel like there are a lot of things I feel I don't understand.. Like I lack the mental capacity to understand them. I don't know if it's the real truth, or if it's just my belief? I often feel like I am lacking or less than others. Sometimes for strange reasons like not being in relationship or having my own family. I don't even desire these things at the moment, but it's difficult not to compare myself to others.

 I land on a spectrum of Cerebral Palsy, there are things I'm capable of doing like getting out of my chair and walking. However, there are others with Cerebral Palsy who can obtain degrees and full time jobs and I feel like those things are out of reach for me. This isn't a rant hoping for encouragement or sympathy, I'm just being honest about how I feel. 

The last couple of years have been pretty tough. I felt in limbo and like I wasn't accomplishing a lot. I was knocking on a lot of doors that wouldn't open. I was writing some but I didn't feel passionate about it. My mini stroke left me feeling more disabled and vulnerable, I wondered "would I ever get my independence back"? I relied on people to help me more than I wanted too. Friends, even this period of my life was a gift to me. It opened my eyes, it made me want to live life to the fullest! I wanted to take more chances!! Tomorrow isn't promised so get out and LIVE!!! I need to tell my story. I want it to serve others on their journey. 

No matter what goes on in my life. I am so grateful for who I am and who I'm becoming...

Listen To Life

I went to a play on Thursday night by myself. It was really more of a live experience than a play. You weren't so much watching actors play characters, you were witnessing people share their stories. It got me thinking about life and how every experience is teaching us something.

I've been reflecting on times that I knew something was wrong or "off" but I didn't pay attention. One of those times was when I got taken advantage of on a handibus. I mean I had to get home and it was my only option to get there. But I remember a moment before I even got on that the man looked at me with an unsettling eye. That was my clue, that was my whisper that something bad was about to happen. I am not about to victim blame myself, it was not my fault. But I do want this story to illustrate how subtle these little messages can be. 

Sometimes you're in a relationship and there are small indicators that the other persons heart doesn't quite belong to you. Or maybe you brush off their possessiveness and jealousy as care and protection. Sometimes you feel something in your gut but you choose to shove it down or deny that it exists. It's there for a reason. 

Particularly if you're an individual with a disability, you are required to put a lot of trust in the people around you. Your family, friends, and caregivers. Sometimes we need to be reminded to listen to ourselves. The honest truth, deep in your soul. The one that makes the hairs of your neck standup and gives you bad butterflies in your stomach. 

Always listen to yourself first....

Our Friend on Wheels

“Our Friend with Wheels” is a book about making friends. Watch this amazing kids story that shows you the beauty of friendship. I really hope that my book will help all the kids with disabilities to see that making friends it’s possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUL0P3yZ4EE

CP Day

Dear fellow "CP’s",

Be proud of yourself.

Don’t let other people keep you down.

Find your voice, and USE it.

Dear “regular folks”,

What I wish you would understand about me is that

 yes, I have Cerebral Palsy and I’m not ashamed of it.

 Your pitiful looks and sad eyes have no effect on me.

Dear world, 

I am not disabled and if you don’t like it, get out of my life…

TOM: ALBERTA

Tikkun Olam is Hebrew for “repairing the world,” and that is our focus in TOM. Our goal is to design and create empowering solutions for challenges faced by individuals living with disabilities and limitations.

 My worker and I came across a “makeathon” event in Calgary this August. It is a pairing of individuals with disabilities with several “makers” i.e.. electricians, engineers, designers, etc. for 72 hours and come up with a prototype at the end of the time to help the individual with a disability. There is a 4 month long creation process beginning this September in which prototypes or apps etc. will be built among teams including 1-2 persons with a  disability and about 6 “makers” (professional creators). 

My worker and I emailed them a couple of weeks ago to receive more information. We were put in contact right away with a project manager named Kathryn. She was unable to meet us in person so she sent two colleagues to meet with us that week. They were very excited to meet me! They thought I would be a great fit for a group that has another person developing an app to assist people who have difficulty speaking. They invited me to join that team if I am interested. 

I am already blown away by the dedication and passion these people have for this project!! 

They encouraged me to keep in touch and to contact them if anymore ideas come to my mind. I feel like this is a good fit for me. I’m really excited!

Please check out their site for more information:
http://kadimadynamics.com/researchgroups/tom/

Taking Life by the Horns/ my Deepest Desire

I was out for coffee with my friend and she told me she wanted to get away ... but she's being a real chicken about it. She's told me a couple of places she wishes to go,  I just think "Oh my gosh, if I were you I'd be out of here in one hot minute". 

I wonder what I would do if I didn't have a disability... Would I grab life by the horns and never look back? I have family and friends here but I don't have "roots" as in no job, no man, no pet, no kids, I'm a pretty free bird. Sometimes I wish I could go to the airport and just pick a flight somewhere. Wherever I ended up, I would would email my parents to let them where I am... and so they know I'm still alive. haha. 

 Sometimes I want to go all over the world and advocate for individuals with disabilites and write about it on my blog for everyone else to see. I would want my blog to be accessible all around the world. That's my heart's desire. Ultimately, because of my own battles with disabilities I have a connection and understanding with other people with disabilities. I guess I can thank my Cerebral Palsy for my balsy advocate desires. 

The reality is that there are so many fears I have associated with taking a risk like that. For instance, what if I left and something tragic happened to my parents... or another family member. What could I do being so far away from them? Perhaps it's more advantageous to them if I'm gone because then no one has to be responsible for me and my well being... Well, that's not entirely true. Everything that I need help with over here I would still need help with anywhere else in the world. If it wasn't a friend or family member, it would have to be someone else assisting me where I am. Don't get me wrong, I love my family! They are the reason I'm here and I couldn't be who I am without them. But they also have their own lives and I understand that and I'm happy for them! 

This is what's in my heart and this is where I can be myself. If I can't be honest here I might as well stop trying... and stop writing.... On a happier note, I still live pretty grand adventure and I hope I can keep living my life out the way I want to. 

What is Understanding?

I read a blog today that gave me an idea... It made me think "What does it mean to Understand". By that I mean to understand an individual's experience of being in the world. We all have commonalities such as having disabilities or siblings or friends. But you can't understand what it's like to get in a fight with my sister even though you have your own. You can't understand what it's like to navigate the world in a wheelchair even though you have mobility problems. So why are people so quick to say "I understand exactly what you mean". Do you? Do you really? 

There is in fact a lot of stuff you simply cannot understand from my experience. If you have a family member or friend who has a disability, you might understand some of it from a third party point of view. You will never personally understand what it's like to wait for handibus all day, or constantly repeat yourself for others, or deal with all the stares. So why bother lying to both of us with the statement "I understand how you feel". Even if you have Cerebral Palsy and find yourself in a wheelchair, it's still not exactly the same experience I'm having. 

The statement "I understand how you feel" often comes from a well intended place, a person is often trying to be empathetic/ compassionate. But it's terribly unnecessary and will never be a true statement. In fact, it can sometimes feel belittling to the person on the receiving end. So let's try to erase that statement from our vocabulary. 

Friendship or Dating?

At the age of 35 and living with Cerebral Palsy, I realized that dating is not a big deal to me. At least not in the same way it is for some others with disabilities. I wish that I had someone to hang out and chat with on the weekends. But rest assured, it's not the end of the world for me. Maybe I feel this way because nine years ago I got hurt by a handi bus driver. It made me be more cautious of the men I meet. Whether I meet someone online or in person, I feel I need to have my guard up and be careful.  

Don't get me wrong, I am not a man hater. I have a few good men in my life, they are family members and friends that I trust. As a woman, I have a responsibility to listen to my heart and also to guard it. Being in a wheelchair adds another layer of vulnerability to me. I would be a fool to not take that into consideration when men approach me. 

I know what you're thinking; "What if it was a man who also had a disability who approached me?" Well that has happened to me at least once before. A gentleman in a wheelchair who also lived in Calgary reached out to me. I had seen him at a few different places around town (including the hand-bus), but had never interacted with him. I knew he wasn't capable of physically hurting me in the same way. But I still felt quite nervous to hang out with him. Now we are friends. 

You know what would be really great? I think it would be great if Calgary had a dating service catered to individuals with disabilities. Perhaps it could include people who are looking for friendship or companionship as well. Maybe there could be extra safety measures taken to ensure everyone's health and safety needs are being met. Someone should take this idea and run with it!

Don't Call Me One of "Them"

This is something that's been on my mind for a while now and I want to get it off my chest. I receive support three times a week where someone accompanies me out in the community. I start my day off with a workout at the gym. Occasionally there are a couple of other people who have disabilities as well. The people at the gym have embraced me and my differences and treat me like any other member. After I finish my workout I go to the mall.


 My worker and I go up to the food court and work on whatever I have on the go. Sometimes there are several other people with disabilities. I try to stay away from them because of how they are perceived by the general public. I don't want people to associate me with them. The most unfortunate part is that it's not their fault. I blame the workers assisting them. They are often not engaged with the person or just flat out ignoring them. It sends a strong message that the individual isn't worthy of someone's time/ attention. It also leaves the impression that they don't have much of a life and they simply spend their days sitting in malls. It's assumed that they don't have the capacity to communicate or contribute anything to society. It hits close to home for me because sometimes I wonder if I had another kind of disability, would I be in the same boat? Would I be subject to a life of people ignoring me and seeing me as a burden? 


Well I've decided to do some of my own investigating! Next month, I am going downtown to see if I can get people to talk to me. I want to see if I can open up a conversation as a person who has a disability. I hope it opens up people's preconceived notions of what it means to go through life with a disability. I hope I can have some good conversations at the very least!

Take a picture.. It'll last longer

This morning when I got to the gym and waited for my friend, there were a couple of kids that came in and stopped in the middle of the lobby and looked at me. It was kind of sad and it made me uncomfortable to be stared at. I know that they don't understand that it's not right to look at people for an extended period of time... But I just wanted to say "What the hell are you looking at"? She honestly stood there and stared at me for what felt like two minutes. Then she started walking away to catch up with her mom further ahead all the while her head was turned back at me. 

It feels like people are looking at me every 5 minutes today. I don't know why. Has anyone ever seen a person in a wheelchair talking to their friends? Is that shocking? I don't get that. I seem to elicit two different reactions from being in a wheelchair. Either someone will unconsciously stare me down like an alien... or they will do the apologetic "avert the eyes" where they immediately look away after noticing you're in a wheelchair to prevent them from staring. I get this all the time and I'm used to it but sometimes it pisses me off. Sometimes I want to say something or look at them the way they look at me. 

All I'm trying to say is it's ok to notice me, it's ok to see me. I'm a person who deserves the same respect of personhood like everyone else. Staring at me or pretending I don't exist are equally inappropriate responses to me sharing a public space with you. 

Wheels On

Wake up, get dressed, settle into my chair for the day.
My home away from home, extension of my body, 
part of my identity.
The thrill of it has long dissipated with the days of my youth.

People say "Take your life by the wheel", 
Well I've got six of them and it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere.
If my chair could talk, it would tell you about all the dreams, the wild adventures, 
the boys to be kissed.
All the Pieces I've shed in it. 
All the parts of me waiting to be lived..

Waiting... waiting... WAITING...... 
For Access, for friends, for life to begin...
I've mastered patience.
Spend enough time in a wheelchair and you'll either become bitter or virtuous.

Well I AM DONE... being carried through life,
I am taking back my life - in style!
On my own two feet.
You wouldn't dare a mile,
in my shoes...

But I do! 3x a week at least.
Truth be told, I sometimes feel like a beast!
Taking on the world and going after my dreams.
Traveller, Writter, Blogger, walking's just out of reach.

Deep down I know that I will always have a disability.
Things will always be a little harder for me.
I don't need to be fixed with some kind of surgery,
I'm Shawna, I have Cerebral Palsy, and that's just fine with me!!

The dream of the girl

Hello my friends,

It’s difficult finding your old self after having a min stroke. It’s hard getting back to the person that you were before and doing all the staff that you can do and you love to do before. You never thought you have to stop working for your dream; in my case, working on walking. Sometimes, I’m not sure if the doctors are right, and if I have to stop fighting for my biggest dream. Maybe, I don’t have to listen to them all the time and it’s much better just to keep working on my goals. It feels like I’m giving up on my dream to walking and I’m not the girl who give up on her dreams. I know that it sounds silly for people who can walk, but for me is like a baby taking their first step. I will keep working out because I don’t want to become a vegetable, but if they tell me that I can’t go back walking that will kill me, because I always have a dream that I’ll be the first girl who has a Cerebral Palsy, but who will be able to get out of her wheelchair and walk. So I don’t know if that is working for me, but I need to see what the doctors said. The doctors told me that they will have an answer for me in six months. The six months are almost here in two weeks, so I will see what happened.  

A Mother Who's Trying to do the Right Thing for Her Daughter

In the news today, there was a mother who killed her mentally handicapped daughter. She lives in SW Calgary, so it hits a little close to home. The daughter was 38 years old and the mother was 68. The mom was a single mom to her daughter. It seems that the mother was the sole caregiver of her daughter her whole life. Her neighbour described her as "very dedicated" when it came to her daughter. She made an effort for her to be included in public school and ultimately be seen as a "regular" person. The maximum is five years for taking a life who have a disability but his just happened so no decisions have been made yet.  

Aside from all the political points that arise in this tragedy, I would like to focus on the heart of what's really happened here. If my mom looked after me like this mom, I would want my mom to euthanize me. Don't get me wrong, I would be grateful but I don't want rob my mom of anymore of her life. So my heart is broken because her mom's decision to single handedly take care of her, ultimately lead to her death. But on the other hand, it's not right to take another life because we don't know what the persons reality is, or what all goes on in their mind. 

Being that she was a single mom, I'm curious if she lacked support in her own life. Maybe she found her whole purpose in being a mother and caring for her daughter. Perhaps some part of her couldn't deal with the guilt of sending her to a home or an institution. Without a doubt, her identity was wrapped up in her daughter. Who knows if she hit a wall and snapped, or if she eventually gave up. We never know. 

This is the difficulty of caring for a person with significant disabilities. It does take a village and if there isn't one in place, you'll burn out. I wish parents didn't feel like they need to bear the burden so much. I wish there was someway we could tell our parents what to do if we can't talk. So they would know what to do and do the best thing for the child. Everybody needs help and we all want to help each other out. Having help with raising a child with disabilities should not make anyone feel ashamed or like they are a bad parent. It really is what is best for everyone in the end. 

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/patricia-melissa-couture-failure-necessaries-calgary-police-1.3555339

Finding Your Voice

Hi everybody,

I am giving you a sneak peak of my book that I am working on. I hope you like it.

General Description:

I’m working on a book and it is called “Finding Your Voice.” Abby Fisher has Cerebral Palsy, but that’s not holding her back from what she wants. She never thinks about that time she was raped on the Handi-bus as a teenager, until she meets Noah Rodriguez. Abby met him online, and they fall in love really fast. After a couple of months into the relationship, Abby expresses what happened to her as a teenager and this scares Noah and pushes him away. Abby then breaks up with him and is faced with finding her voice after what happened to her and becomes an activist. Abby also begins taking on her lifelong goal of walking on her own. To do this, Abby goes to the gym everyday for a couple of hours. That was before Abby noticed a pain in her legs that she hadn’t felt before. After a week of tests, Abby finds out she has cancer. Abby lets Noah know and sees that he isn’t a bad person after all – and decides that she will let him back into her life so they can get through this together.

General Plot Summary

·      Introducing Abby

·      Abby meets Noah

·      Abby breaks up with Noah

·      Abby pursues advocacy and walking

·      Abby is diagnosed and struggles with her past and present

·      Abby and Noah reunite and Noah helps Abby recover and eventually walk

Noah and Abby’s Relationship Conflict

·      In the beginning, Noah and Abby are getting to know each other and everything is good

·      After awhile, Abby starts to feel ashamed that she has a secret to tell Noah, and feels like that – along with her disability – will scare him away – her shame contributes to Abby pushing Noah away

·      Abby is left to deal with her past on her own afterwards – she pursues advocacy for people with disabilities and works towards walking on her own

·      After months of training at the gym, Abby notices a pain in her leg and gets some tests done. Abby is then told that she has bone cancer in her leg and will need to go though chemotherapy to treat it.

·      Once Abby is diagnosed, Abby realizes that Noah was actually a good guy and wants Noah back into her life. She is faced with learning to trust Noah and rebuild her life with his help (***do they end up together?)

Main Characters’ Biography and Personality

Noah Rodriguez is a 40-year-old Australian man who has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 21. He comes from a rich family and played soccer in high school and university. His wife (who he met in university) died of cancer 10 years ago, and he is now ready to share his life with someone new. Noah’s personality is ambitious, outgoing, busy, humourous, has a bit of a temper, idealistic, driven, intelligent, arrogant, greedy, impatient (e.g., “don’t get in my way, I need it all”), honest, anal, confident.

Abby Fisher is a 27-year-old Caucasian woman living in Vancouver Canada. Abby was born with Cerebral Palsy. Her mom is from Alberta and her dad from BC. She is a very independent young woman and activist who wants to show others that she won’t let her disability define her. Although Abby is strong, she struggles sometimes with the idea that no man would love her for who she is, disability and all. However, Abby wants a family one day, just like her brothers and sisters. Abby is scheduled and spontaneous. She writes at night. She’s a people person but she likes her own time too. Nice, helpful, outgoing, has a sense of humor, she doesn’t like asking for help which annoys people, she tells it like it is (blunt/frank). Abby is more realistic than Noah, carefree, confident, honest, driven, stands up for herself, stubborn, doesn’t eat right (only on Sunday dinners).

Main Characters Physical Features

Noah:

Blue eyes. Light blond hair. Eyes are most defining facial structure; the way he looks at Abby. Nice facial structure. Rugged. Oval face. Little beard. Really short haircut and he always does his hair nicely. He has a lot of tattoos on his body

Abby:

            Hazel eyes that change colour. Short blond pixie cut. Her smile lights up the room and is her defining feature. Oval face and high cheekbones She wears casual clothing (is not very girly) on most days, but she’ll dress up once in awhile. Wears a bit of jewelry

Main Characters’ Jobs/Hobbies/Recreation

Noah:

           

Job: Physiotherapist - Noah is a physiotherapist and loves his job. He continues to better himself at work and climb the job ladder. He travels a lot for work, and is an assistant coach for a soccer team on the side.

Education: Bachelor’s in sports management and kinesiology and Master’s of physiotherapy.

Recreation:  Noah is sports-minded. He is on a rugby team and works out everyday; he runs in the morning and goes to the gym in his free time. Family life is also very important to him. Noah helps his family out a lot and is always very busy.

Abby:

Job: Abby is a ski instructor at the Special Olympics, and travels around promoting the Special Olympics. She is also a blogger and writer for a sports magazine. She has written a novel about her life story, and has an advice column on her blog.

Education: BA in Business/Marketing

Recreation: Abby likes to hang out with family and friends in her spare time, and has family suppers every Sunday night. Abby also likes her own time too. She’s very busy. Abby also skis in the special Olympics in her free time and wins a lot of medals. All her life, people have told her she can’t do anything, and so she’s trying to prove that she can.

Abby also does fundraising marathons that she started herself – started them when she was a teenager – every summer.

***************

Minor/secondary characters, how they affect the story?

Lisa works for the CPA of BC. She is Abby’s ski partner, and one of her best friends. She helps Abby out a lot, especially with her fundraisers.

Janna is Abby’s best friend. She is Lisa’s boss, but they are all best friends.

Scott is Abby’s neighbor. He helps Abby out a lot with Scooter.

Finding your legs

I went online today to see if there were anyone else who had cerebral palsy and wanted to walk on their own, like me. I found this video about this young guy who has cerebral palsy who walks with crutches, but he wants to walk without his crutches. This video is very awesome. He has a fight inside of him that tells him that anything can happen if you put your mind to it. 

it's amazing to watch how he trains. It's clear to see that he works very hard and is very determined to reach his goal. Seeing him pushes me to want to do more with my body and discover what my limitations truly are. Finding him as well as others with CP who have a goal of walking makes me feel part of a larger community. It serves as a reminder that I am not alone in my struggle and that my goal really is achievable.