Living and laughing with a disability - cerebral palsy; ordinary life, extraordinary circumstances.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Choose death over disability?

Disaboom ran a survey and found that 52% of the people would rather die than be disabled.

Half of Americans Would Choose Death over Disability: Survey

We are a shallow people. Nobody chooses to be disabled. You become disabled.

The umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck. Oxygen was cut off from my brain. At eight months, I wasn't holding my head up right. Doctors diagnosed me as having cerebral palsy.

Disability is not fun. Don't think for a second that I have not dreamt what it would be like to not be disabled. I pray and shed a tear for Bam Bam's sister (he is on E's baseball team) who is severely disabled, in a wheelchair, and who is going into surgery this week to have rods put in her back to help with her scoliosis. She just turned 14. She has Tourette Syndrome.

Disability takes strength and love. People who don't know me often see me as funny and not fitting in. The hardest part of being disabled is accepting yourself, loving yourself, allowing your family and friends accept and love you.

Acceptence and love is not everywhere in this world. It's not a one time thing. It's not easy. It is a every day growing experience. It is life.

52% would choose death over life? It does not surprise me. You really do not know until you are there, until your family and friends are there with you, and you find the strength to live.

God loves and accepts me the way I am. I believe He could take away my disability in a flash. But there is more to life than getting what we want, when we want.

Life is about growth.

1 comment:

EkC said...

I just came across your blog today - Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the survey. I especially like your last line - "Life is about growth."

So true!