Our first feature in the "kids"
area is an interview with a remarkable and inspiring young woman.
Elizabeth is a happy, healthy 10th grader. She is planning on college and
just was honored at a school assembly for academic honors. Elizabeth
also has cerebral palsy and a seize disorder and has recently 
become
interested in starting a group for kids with CP to discuss issues with
dealing with growing up with CP.
We decided to interview her to get her ideas
on how to deal with frustration and "being different" from the
kids that do not have CP. Elizabeth has been very honest and open in
sharing her feelings in hopes of getting other kids to talk about personal
issues that come along with having CP.
If you would like to send a message to
Elizabeth, please post it in chat. Also, for those of us that didn't
grow up in the age of "web communication", lol means "laugh
out loud".
CPNUES: Tell us a little about your family
and yourself.
E: I have a regular family, one
brother who is 11, my father, my mother, and my grandmother and uncle.
They are always around and care for me a lot, but my father tries to hide
the reality that I have cp and treats me like a normal child. He and isn't
very present in my life. I go to an all girl school in Manhattan (New
York City) and I am currently in the 10th grade. I am doing quite good
my average is an 89 and I have few close friends, but in school I am friends
with everyone. Not many people know that I have cp because I don't
want any sympathy towards me. I like everyone to treat me like a
normal child, so that sometimes I can challenge myself even though I know I
might fail. Oh I forgot I am 16 and I come from a Spanish family.
CPNUES: What is the earliest you remember
that your muscles wouldn't do what you wanted?
E: Oh Wow! Well I never really
noticed it, I just put it (my arm) aside like something that was just
"there" and I couldn't really move it. That was when I only
used my left hand to do the necessary things in life, other things that I
couldn't manage my mom helped me in. I guess I noticed it when I went
to therapy and I knew that something was wrong with me but I still tried to
do the regular things "normal" people would do.
CPNUES: How do you deal with frustration
when you cannot do things with your arm that you want to?
E: I know that it isn't the right way
but I complain to my parents..lol. Because when I can't do something I
feel isolated from the world like I am the only person like this and all my
friends can do this perfectly but I can't. This is the reason why I
sought help for a youth group that have cp problems so that we can help each
other out and comprehend what we go through. When I can't do things
with my arm, I look for help among my family or friends. Sometimes, I
feel ashamed that I have to ask for help, but it is just the frustration
that I cannot do it by myself! Even now, I am not used to it completely,
because everyday something challenges me and I have to face it.
Sometimes I can't do anything about it. When that comes along, it
frustrates me even more because no one can help, days later I forget about
it because it won't ever go away. It gets me sad to think about that.
CPNUES: How did you deal with it when you
were younger?
E: When I was younger I would ignore
it. But there was one instance that I tried sooooo hard to be normal
just like the rest of the kids that it worked. When I was 10, I was
riding a bicycle with 4 wheels! I thought I wasn't going to let myself
embarrass for the rest of my life, riding with 4 wheels. So the summer
came and by myself with some help of my mother I finally succeeded on riding
with 2 wheels! You do not know the bumps and bruises I got, my mom
really didn't help because she was afraid that I was going to get
hurt. When I finally succeeded I was very proud of myself that I
learned how to ride with 2 wheels only!
CPNUES: Did you like therapy? Did you
think it helped?
E. Did I like therapy?? Oh
no! Because it challenged me at great lengths, it was hard, it was
stressful, and I thought at that time that I didn't need therapy I was
perfectly fine using my left hand forever for everything! I think in
some point it did help because I learned how to use my hands when both hands
were needed in a project.
CPNUES: Do you remember what it was like
being in therapy as a smaller child, like 5 or 6 years old?
E. Yes I do remember! I worked
muscles that were stiffened in my leg and in my hand. The most I
enjoyed out of therapy was that walking machine I liked to do. But my
right hand was always harder since I couldn't actually move my
fingers. Occupational therapy was harder, especially the therapists
that wanted me to do an excellent job lol. CPNUES: You wouldn't be
referring to me would you??!!
CPNUES: Did you think that therapy was
going to make the CP and problems with your muscles go away completely or
did you understand that therapy only helps to make it better?
E. When I was younger, I thought it
was going to go away and that's why I needed to put so much effort to it so
that I could get better. But as I got older I realized that it won't
ever go away. Until this day, I still have hopes in technology that my
hand at least works like my left hand and won't have spasms.
CPNUES: Did you ever have a bad experience
with someone at school or in the community not being nice to you because you
were different?
E. Oh my..(lol) I had few. Many
kids would mock me and say why do you have your hand like that? My
response was "I have a problem" and I would show them that my hand
spasmed and they would be like "wow!" I had a plastic thing
shaped around my knee to my leg and I would tell kids to step on my foot
that it didn't hurt. You can say I had fun with my cp in the
beginning. When I was 14 yrs old I had a half way seizure in my class
which my arm went half way up in the air and my head had a sort of tick to
it. I was soo embarrassed since at that time I was doing a speech and
everyone saw it, including boys! Then months later, I had a full seizure in
which the whole 8th grade saw it and we were on a trip, my teachers had to
get everyone out of the place and call the ambulance. I am so
embarrassed until this day.
CPNUES: How did you handle it?
E. This is a tough one, I directly
went to my mom for comfort telling her how "abnormal" I felt, I
cried and wished that I hadn't forced my right hand to stop spasming that
day. After the seizure was over, I started laughing about how
embarrassed I felt and that now I have an excuse not to show an oral
presentation ever again! That day I bonded with my homeroom teacher
while in the hospital. I kept telling her that she had "places to
go, people to meet." I was pleased to find out that there was a
solution for my seizure (medications) and that it won't happen again.
But at home, I don't like to remember because it feels like yesterday L.
CPNUES: It is interesting that when you
were younger, instead of hiding CP, you kept it in the open and the other
kids were fine with it. And even though having the seizure in school
was difficult, you still look at the good side of things, like not having to
do oral presentations.
CPNUES: Do you have any advice for school
age kids that are worried about feeling different or that have to deal with
a bully?
E: Don't listen to them. You are
probably saying " its not easy to ignore it because it
hurts"! I know that some kids might put you as the outcast, that
is why it makes you stronger. You want to show them that you are not
different, even though you know it isn't going to go away but you want to be
just like them and even better. This is why, instead of doing harm it
does good, you will become a better person because you want show them that
you are just as capable as they are, with a little try!
CPNUES: All in all, were (are) most of the
kids in school accepting and nice?
E: My peers, right now don't know that
I have cp. But those who do are helpful and supportive on what I
do. They try to understand and aid me when I need help with carrying
books or opening up a bottle of coke. They accept me as I am and don't
consider me as a person who has a disorder. I try my best to do the
things I can with my both hands that way I don't have to depend on someone,
because I hate to do that!
CPNUES: If you could give a child with CP
any advice what would it be?
E: Just be yourself, never let
anything stop you. Have hopes and dreams just like anyone else that
with effort you will have it. I have a dream that one day my right
side will work 98% as well as my left side. Try anything possible.
Obstacles are there for a reason, so you can say I can do that too!
Its hard, I know, but make yourself proud don't settle for anything less.
CPNUES: If you could give the parent of a
child with CP any advice what would it be?
E: I would say be there for
them! Probably you are right now but never forget love and don't treat
them like a person that needs help all the time. Let them do things by
themselves, if you see that they cannot do anymore then help them.
Make them independent as much as possible that just because they have a
problem doesn't mean that you should do everything for them. Challenge
them, be their comfort, give them hopes that CP is not all in life. There's
more to it.
CPNUES: If you could give a teacher any
advice about a child with in their class what would it be?
E: Lol I was always trying to get away
in doing a project because of my hand. But if a child says they cannot
do it, then cut them some slack. I as a student feel embarrassed when
I cannot do certain things and then get offended by the teacher saying you
have to. All I am saying is have some sympathy, that this child is
going through alot and doesn't need more frustrations in a project where
they cannot handle it. Don't make them feel isolated as well, maybe
you can help him/her. But try to understand, at least a little bit.
CPNUES: What is your happiest day?
E: My happiest days are when I am with
my friends and enjoying myself. Other days when I get a good grade in
school.
CPNUES: What is your favorite band?
E: Lol I have tons of fav artists
right now, but I do enjoy about everything to classical-rock. Mostly I
like rap, r & b, and Spanish music.
CPNUES: Favorite book?
E: Haha I don't read as much as I used
to but I have one favorite which is The Outsiders.
CPNUES: Elizabeth, thank you for being so
generous with your feelings. I think that we all, not just people with CP,
could learn from your positive attitude!
