I often wonder what my life would be like if I wasn't in a wheelchair, and how people would treat me if they were not so afraid of me or looked at me strangely the way they do now.  When I was four years old, I was like any other child who liked to sing, dance, play, and travel to faraway places with my mother and father.  I would sit in a childproof car seat with the music of the eighties soft rock blasting in my ears, as I looked out the window of my car seat wondering what the world holds for me.

I loved to sing, dance, and act out plays for my friends and family just to entertain or annoy them.  They would have to get involved in my talent shows even if they weren't in the mood.  I still love them to this day.  By the time I was five, I began to fall in love with musical theatre.  By this time I became aware of my other passion which is to be on stage, to play someone other than myself and also to sing.  I knew this was what I wanted to do.  As a child, I wanted to be just like Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz".

I am diagnosed as having "Cerebral Palsy with Spastic Paraplegia".  This only means I am unable to walk and is confined to a wheelchair.  I need help to do simple things like taking a shower on my own or making a sandwich.  But that is alright, as I am the happiest girl on earth.  I was diagnosed when I was approximately ten months old after a deadly bout with meningitis.

I may do things differently from most people my age, like dressing myself, or even trying to get into bed at night.  At school I need help with writing and taking care of activities of daily living.  Because of this disability I have to depend a lot for help on other people.  This troubles me sometimes when other people ask questions, but I am glad they do because it opens up a dialogue and I now feel they are understanding me and hopefully what disability is all about. 

I feel lucky to be alive and happy to be who I am.  I thank God for being in my life.  I am spiritual and love the Lord.  I love to worship and praise the Lord.  I attend church weekly.