I was born on April Fool’s Day in 1999. I love that date. I suppose we all love our birthdates, because they’re unique to us. I was also born with a disability, Cerebral Palsy. Does that make me unique as well? I like to think so. It certainly makes me stand out, and I’ve always thought that was a good thing. 

I went to a public school where the teachers graciously tolerated all of my quirks and idiosyncrasies. They sent me on my way with my diploma to tackle a world that I knew would be a challenge, but given how stubborn and persistent I am, I was (and still am) determined to make lifestyle adaptations and maintain a positive outlook no matter what.

Being non-verbal and non-ambulatory, I am exposed to a lot of adaptive equipment to help with mobility and to strengthen & stretch my body. My wheelchair gets me where I need to go and I use sounds and gestures so that people know what I want or need.

My days are spent working hard to learn creative ways to participate in everyday activities. I go out to therapies nearly every day, I do yoga weekly, I walk on many trails, and I love to swim daily in the summer. I enjoy being crafty and I’m a huge movie buff! Ask me about any movie and I’ll surely crack a smile for you! Some days I’m so exhausted I just need a spa day! Oh, and I get those too!

Okay, it may seem like I’m pampered at times, but I do have a strong drive to achieve small AND large goals for myself. One small goal is to increase my arm & leg strength when I use weight machines during my therapy sessions. I’m pretty good at it, but won’t be ready for any weightlifting competition anytime soon!

 A huge goal of mine is to become more effective in communicating with people. I’m misunderstood sometimes, which can be frustrating for both parties since communicating for me is not through spoken language. These might seem like small or insignificant goals to some people, but reaching these goals would be life-changing for me. When I’m out in the community, I like it when people ask about my disability because it means that they want to get to know me. Meeting new people is always exciting, so please reach out if you see me around!

So yes, living with a disability is challenging, and I do have to work hard to make my body do things you can do very easily, but here’s the thing. You have challenges too, and you have dreams and aspirations too. We both do our best to work towards our goals & purposes. Yours are unique to you while mine are unique to me. We’re pretty much the same. Just uniquely different.