Living with cerebral palsy is enormously difficult. But what if you never knew you had it? This is ‘my story.’
Born the second of premature twins, from a young age I knew I was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 60s, I experienced first-hand the way that disability was so often brushed under the carpet and not spoken about. My constant physical and mental struggles made me feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood… it took 46 years for me to find out why.
Part memoir, part motivational guide, Cerebral Palsy: A Story is my open and honest journey from an angry, confused child, knowing something was wrong, but not knowing what, to the ‘real’ me, using my experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, positivity, resilience and change.
I remember not being able to peel my eyes off my odd-looking left foot as a child and next to now muscle tone and becoming irritated, seeing my other beautifully formed right leg and foot staring back at me.
I was never able to get past that. Fast forward to the present day and I can look in the mirror at my foot and my leg, without feeling irritated any more. The book brings order, understanding and acceptance …
Read on »Writing my book Cerebral Palsy: A Story ‘Finding the Calm after the Storm’ breaks down barriers not just around disability, but also in wider life. Sensitively written, it charts my journey page by page, breaking down barriers as I go.
Having struggled throughout my life to find a place living with a disability I didn’t know I had, I didn’t realise how stigmatised my life had become. Although things weren’t said, it became obvious from an …
Read on »Writing a book isn’t easy, particularly when you know what you’re writing helps you, but potentially isn’t something others close will accept.
I remember watching a documentary about Lily Allen, who was particularly blunt about her experiences, and her explaining in the documentary that her book didn’t go down well with her family. I have nothing …
Read on »With just under a week to go and with advanced copies of the book now in my possession, the day I received them will be forever etched in my memory.
The morning I received the books, I had a sign early on that mum was with me and that she approves the book. Sitting at the kitchen table the kitchen lights started to flicker for a few seconds, a sure sign …
Read on »I’m not exactly sure why I’m struggling with the enormity of my experiences now, but perhaps it’s got something to do with my book being published in two weeks time.
I am irritated by the fact that my experiences were allowed to happen and that’s what I’m struggling to get past today. I know that without my life I could never have written the book, but those factors …
Read on »Growing up with a disability I didn’t know I had meant that I needed to find out. I needed to piece all my experiences together, get to know me, understand my difficulties and come face to face with my disability.
I would never understand my life, without going back to the beginning and writing my experiences down in the order they happened. Had I have known about my disability as a child, my life would have …
Read on »Living with so many thoughts in my mind, has made writing my memoir easy. Having now signed the book off, I’m now on to publication and that part doesn’t seem so easy!
My book tells ‘my story,’ in a way that helps resonate. It’s powerful, emotional and heartfelt. It’s a story without recriminations. It’s a fair and balanced account of my experiences, growing up without knowing …
Read on »I am delighted to let you all know that my forthcoming book, Cerebral Palsy: a story ‘Finding the Calm after the Storm,’ is due to be released on the 2nd January, 2020. Everything to do with the book will now be categorised under ‘My Book.’
Not knowing I cerebral palsy meant each day was an ongoing battle. Post diagnosis, although writing for my website has been instrumental in bringing more peace into my life, writing the book has been a …
Read on »
Community