I’m the eldest of 3 sisters and growing up life was pretty
challenging but while I was growing up my parents always supported me and
encouraged me to be true to who I am.
My now 20 year-old sister found it really hard to adjust to
the fact that I had a disability, on the contrary however, my youngest sister
Mia always had a unique and entertaining way of expressing her understanding of
my disability.
Even though I think Mia always knew in her heart that I was
different, she first made it known to me in a very age-appropriate way when she
was 3 by saying:
“God is very naughty,
why did he make you not walk? I’m gonna call the police and ask them to take
him to jail.”
One short year down the track Mia, thinking I was “adopted”
instead of born with CP came up with this gem:
- Me: “Mia,
why do you think God made me ‘disabled’?”
- Mia: “God
made you disabled and said: ‘Who wants this girl? She’s disabled’ and Mummy and
Daddy said ‘We’ll have her.’
Obviously this is not the case but her heart was in the
right place, and life is never dull with her around, she’s always keeping me on
my toes. Even now at 11 years old I never know what witty remark she will come
up with next.
While I’ll always feel guilty about not being able to be there
for Mia in the normal way, I try to make up for it in other ways, such as
bringing her chocolates and things that I pick up on my adventures, giving her
free reign on my laptop, and playing with her when she has nobody else to play
with.
She’s always patient with me, and is the first to offer to
push me around at the shops and never makes me feel as though she is ashamed to
have a sister with a disability. Mia even accompanied me to the 2012 Lady Gaga
concert, and after spotting a Lady Gaga lookalike, she promptly wheeled me over
to make sure we got a picture together. Mia has definitely made my life so far
more interesting and exciting, which I greatly appreciate and I love my sister
very much.
Whist I wouldn’t have it any other way, my heart goes out to
those whom have a more severe form of CP than I, and who find it more difficult
to rise above their condition. My hope is that Cerebral Palsy Awareness Week
will help to inform people of the challenges and make it a little easier for
all those whose lives are affected by CP.
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