Welcome

Dear Parents,

I came across this website today and I wanted to take a minute to share my story.

My twin brother, Andy, and I were born in April of 1979. We were three months premature, weighing about two pounds, and each had our own complications. I was diagnosed with CP and as I aged the only way I could get around was to crawl. I was still crawling at age four. My mother took me to countless doctors, every one of them told her the same thing, "get your son a wheel chair because he'll never walk."

She didn't. She kept looking until she found a doctor who was willing to try surgery. By the time I started kindergarten I was walking.

The road has been long since then: I've needed several additional operations, including open spinal surgery when I was eight and several muscle lengthen procedures. But all in all, I grew up as a relatively normal child. Still, I had a very noticeable limp and was undersized. Many kids made fun of me.

When I got to high school, my brother joined the football team and I was desperately wanted to play a sport. I thought about wrestling because it was one of the few things someone my size could do, but I was sure I would never make the team. I told my mother and she drove me down to the school for tryouts and practically pushed me out of the car. The first day of practice the coach looked as if he was barely tolerating me and the other kids kept snickering. I wanted to quit but for whatever reason I can't remember I didn't. I made the team that year. The varsity team.

The truth is I was never a very good wrestler, I only won a handful of matches, but that was a turning point in my life-- when I realized I didn't have to live with the "handicapped" label and all the expectations that went with it. My future was my own if I was willing to fight for it.

Most of my recent challenges with CP have been fighting for acceptance with the rest of society. I still walk with a limp and am extremely short (about 5'1) and I found it nearly difficult to get a teaching job even though easily had the qualifications. I've come to the realization that when you live with a disability, sometimes you have to be twice as fast and twice as good and sometimes only for half the credit.

I decided a long time ago that I would never let other people who I was or what my limits were. I decided instead to take a job teaching abroad and I'm now currently a 7th grade literature teacher in Seoul, Korea.

What I really want to say to the parents reading this, is that the world is full of people that will judge your children the second they see them. Others will always have expectations and try to push then on you and your child. Don't let them. If my mother had, I'd never have taken my first steps. Always expect more from your children, not less. Above all, teach your children to never let anyone tell them who they are.


Sincerely,

Todd S

thanks for that.

Thanks Todd! My son Daniel is 25 and has mild CP. He now has a masters degree in educational technology. He has all the challenges that you so well articulated and sometimes he get depressed but then he bounces back. I find myself not appreciating his courarge as much as I should but parents tend not to be perfect and we tend to overprotect particularly those that have a disability. We also tend not to be objective as the love and overprotection supercedes our clarity. I wish you the very best as you continue your journey. For all those who are parents and professions...keep the faith!
RJT