Cerebral Palsy

I had clear motor damage and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The doctors told my parents I’d probably never walk

During those miraculous moments when a new baby’s lungs open and the baby has to begin breathing on her own, complications set in.

No one knew the ramifications of those moments when I was deprived of oxygen… until I started crawling very late and dragging my foot behind me. I had clear motor damage and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The doctors told my parents I’d probably never walk.

My incredible parents refused to accept this. They hired the best occupational, speech, and physical therapists they could find to help me learn to stand on my shaky legs, articulate the best I could, and write with an unsteady hand. Only due to Hashem’s will and my parents’ hishtadlus did I come so far.

However, I was still shaky. My voice tone would go high to low in the middle of a sentence. I couldn’t properly articulate certain sounds. I could walk, but would lose my balance easily. I could write, but a lot of what I wrote was illegible. Over time, I kept improving in all those areas — but still there was a lot of irreparable damage.