Meet Karen, who is sharing a poem she has written about her experience living with Cerebal Palsy.
My name is Karen and I have cerebral palsy and a few other disabilities. I love to read and write, and binge watch tv.
I have cerebral palsy,
But it doesn’t have me,
I use a wheelchair to get around,
It helps set me free.
I have cerebral palsy,
As a child I thought it had me,
I had to fit in a box to belong,
Cerebral palsy made everything feel wrong.
Took a long time for me to realise that I didn’t have to fit in,
Be another cookie in a box,
Instead of standing out in a crowd,
I thought cerebral palsy wasn’t allowed.
Now it’s something that I am proud of,
A badge of honour,
With battle scars,
Gives me a unique story to tell.
Through my life I have been through hell,
Wondering if I could face another day,
Just like the one before,
Didn’t know if I could take another hit.
Fall down,
Get back up again,
Put myself back together,
Time and time again.
There are cracks in my walls,
That I used to put up every single day,
To hold the demons cerebral palsy creates,
Away from myself.
I now understand we all have demons,
We have to keep at bay,
Put ourselves back together,
Different in many ways.
I tell my story now with pride,
About who I am and where I have been,
Know where I want to go,
Cerebral palsy is just a small part of who I am.
The 25th of March is National Cerebral Palsy awareness day. I would like people to know that cerebral palsy affects each person differently. No two people who have it are the same. One day I want to be a counsellor to help others with disabilities deal with their own battle scars and understand that it is okay to be different and whoever they want to be. It might be a long road to get there but one thing I know for sure is that I am no longer afraid to be me. Cerebral palsy and all, nothing is going to stop me.
National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month – March 2022
If you would like to share your lived experience please contact us:
Email – livedexperience@summerfoundation.org.au
Phone – 0499 333 105