Turning struggles into strengths

Introduction

Disabilities affect us all. But how we choose to deal with it can make all the difference.I am one of the ones with a disability.I have cerebral palsy. But I am choosing to use my disability and my strength to help others who can't do for themselves. I want to start a magazine where others can come and ask questions and get some answers and support. Just email me if you have something you want researched ask and I will do it for you and post for all to see.
I know where alot of you may be coming from and want you to know you are not alone. I have suffered many things in my life and because of it I have grown stronger to some degree.
They say what doesn't break us makes us stronger. I also say If you have been through it and have made it or have struggled to make it , chances are others have too. l can remain annonymous. Lets share what we know. AS I said I love doing research and learning new things. So please if you have any questions or comments and want to share please let me know.

Issue one will include an article by me, on my past so u can get to know me. some research information on Cerebral palsy and some links to organizations that may be able to help.


Thank you
wolffesangel




Issue one
Debi's Story~

Story one

Hi! My name is Debi and I have cerebral Palsy. I am also a writer. I received cerebral palsy when I was beaten over the head with a baseball bat. I was a year and a half. My physical challenge is only having one hand to do what most easily do with two hands. My mental disability is remembering that. Hehe. But it's not until I reach for something or try and hold something in both hands do I remember. As odd as it may sound washing dishes is the biggest challenge , because the knuckle on my right hand that is on the out side of the thumb has grown on the inside and creates a burning sensation beyond belief if I try and hold anything. So I end up chasing what ever I wash around the sink ,,,lol. My disability however was not the only thing I had to over come and deal with growing up. I am also a child abuse victim and surviver.

Growing up I had the fun of balancing both trying to hide the abuse as well as over come my disability and worked twice as hard to be just like everyone else. Until I was seven all I had to deal with was my disabilities. Schools, surgery*s therapies were the only things that filled my days. But when I was seven I was molested, and that overshadowed the disability. But looking back I wonder if I was molested because I was disabled. So with those two things going for me one would think I would just give up. But I am a stubborn cuse. There is a reason I am here and I have been trying to find that reason. (More about that in my autobio called out of the shadows).

Any way about the time I was in high school, I got the chance to volunteer with the special olympics that used our gym to do their practice and compititions at. It was awesome!!!! I never saw such happy faces. Right then I knew I wanted to help others. So I continued to volunteer at various organizations until I got married and Joining the Boy Scouts of America as a den leader. Then before I knew it I went to a meeting regarding the "physically challenged" boys who wanted to join and the rep who was in charge was leaving. Before I knew what was happening I was volunteeering to be the new Disablied Scouting Rep. I became the one incharge of not only seeing what group to put our young boys/men in, but after a bit was the one who organized from scratch a disabled scouting camp for a day.

I was soon on the phone lining up clowns, magicians, even canoe rides for the ones in wheel chairs. It was seriously the best time of not only my life but theirs. We not only had a great day but a lot of people learned what these young boys could accomplish when given the chance. We raised some money "donations " and were able to put that back in our fund to do this carnal day all over again. I miss that , and am not sure what happened after I left.

My next venture or goal is to get the word out to other's with disabilities who think they are alone that they aren't.We are here and can be there to support them. Unfortunately when I was young,there wasn't any magazine to read or group to join to know that I wasn't alone. That's why I decided to start this magazine, So others would get the info I never did when i needed it. i have looked around and haven't seen anything like this so here it goes, and I am I am so excited to see where this will go.

Thank you,


The following is a list of information and websites to both get support and informaion on Cerebral palsy.



~~The following information is found on the web sites that follow~

So that you know what Cerebral palsy is and caused from I have included several quotes from sites which I urge you to check out.

“By definition, Cerebral Palsy refers to the brain’s two halves (cerebral) and, to any disorder involving the impairment of control of bodily movement (palsy). Generally, there are four types of Cerebral palsy: Spastic cerebral palsy, Athetoid (or dyskinetic cerebral palsy), Ataxic cerebral palsy, and mixed forms. Common causes of cerebral palsy are breech presentation, complicated labor or delivery, low birth weight, nervous system malformations, maternal bleeding or severe proteinuria, maternal hyperthyroidism, seizures in the newborn and doctor errors. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, low birth weight, delayed development and mental retardation.

The United Cerebral Palsy Associations estimate that more than 500,000 Americans have cerebral palsy. There is no cure for cerebral palsy.”

For more information on the above can be found at http://cerebral_palsy.blogspot.com


Another site says:

“We do not know the cause of most cases of cerebral palsy. That is, we are unable to determine what caused cerebral palsy in most children who have congenital CP. We do know that the child who is at highest risk for developing CP is the premature, very small baby who does not cry in the first five minutes after delivery, who needs to be on a ventilator for over four weeks, and who has bleeding in his brain. Babies who have congenital malformations in systems such as the heart, kidneys, or spine are also more likely to develop CP, probably because they also have malformations in the brain. Seizures in a newborn also increase the risk of CP. There is no combination of factors which always results in an abnormally functioning individual. That is, even the small premature infant has a better than 90 percent chance of not having cerebral palsy. There are a surprising number of babies who have very stormy courses in the newborn period and go on to do very well. In contrast, some infants who have rather benign beginnings are eventually found to have severe mental retardation or learning disabilities.”

The following can found at http://gait.aidi.udel.edu/res695/homepage/pd_ortho/clinics/c_palsy/cpweb.htm

Organizations that can help are


United cerebral palsy foundation at http://www.ucp.org
Cerebral palsy resources at http://cerebral-palsy.blogspot.com/
March of Dimes
Special Olympics