Molly's Zone

“This is it; there's no going back now,” I thought, as I stared at the two words that typically struck fear into my heart. Cerebral palsy. My diagnosis -- the secret to which I had clung for much of my life -- now hovered above a published piece of writing.  A piece of writing centered around my personal experiences living with mild cerebral palsy.  A piece of writing that -- unbeknownst to me at the time -- would transform my perception of my body forever. I, like many other women, have had a fraught relationship with my body for the majority of my life.  From a young age, I internalized messages from the media about the “ideal” woman’s body -- the type of body society prizes. Tall.  Slender.  Symmetrical. Able-bodied. Despite my understanding that one particular body type was perceived as the ideal, I have long found beauty in all bodies -- with the glaring exception of my own.  I have always been tall, long-legged and slender -- outwardly,...

How I'm Moving Forward with Cerebral Palsy One Step at A Time July 18, 2017 | Juliana Ruggiero My name is Juliana Ruggiero; I’m 18 and have spastic cerebral palsy. My story begins in 1999. I was a fragile preemie who weighed only 3.10 pounds. My parents were not able to hold me when I first came out; I was taken away to the NICU as soon as I was born. I was on a breathing machine and closely monitored by a team of doctors until I was stable enough and my lungs were developed enough to function on their own. Not even a few days into being in the world, I had a stroke and my brain bled inside. Doctors thought it was nothing, but the neurologist on call that night didn’t believe it and wanted to do an ultrasound on my head just to be sure. At just 4 days old, I got the ultrasound done, and the results were not what my parents and family wanted to hear. “There’s a black spot and a bleed on your daughter’s brain,” th...

Hi, I am Noelle Ford and when I was born I only weighed 1 pound 9 ounces. I live every day with Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is caused by a non-progressive brain injury. I am almost 18 years old. The worst thing about having Cerebral Palsy for me is having to use assistive devices to help me walk. I wish I could walk like a normal person.  Another thing that I hate about having Cerebral Palsy is when I am out in public people will stare at me. I wonder when people stare at me what they think about me, like what’s wrong with you? Why do I use a walker to help me walk? The best thing about having Cerebral Palsy for me is that I am so positive and such a happy person. Another best thing about having Cerebral Palsy for me is that I have very strong faith in God. My faith in God is very strong because I was not supposed to be alive and now I am here today. Thanks to God!!! In conclusion, living with Cerebral Palsy there is an every day battle that I have to fight. ...