KEEPING IT REAL: Sarah’s Story, Part IV

Keeping It Real: Sarah's Story, Part IV

We're featuring the final installment of a four-part series of question-and-answer style blogs by Sarah Sweeney today.*  To see more from Sarah, you can find her on Faces of CP.

If there were a pill or cure for cerebral palsy, would you take it?

There are days and times that I would tell you without a doubt that if there were a cure or a pill that I could take to not have cerebral palsy, I would absolutely take it. I would love to have the opportunity to walk, run, and dance. It would be wonderful to do with ease what others for granted, like getting in and out of the car or walking up a flight of stairs. However, without cerebral palsy, I would not be the person that I am. Cerebral palsy has given me the gift of being able to think about others before myself, to show empathy, kindness, and to see people for who they are on the inside. It continues to give me the strength I have, even when I feel that I do not have any strength left. It pushes me to think outside the box, and to try and show others how to do the same.

Cerebral palsy affects everyone differently, but we all have differences and it is important that we try to embrace them within ourselves and each other. When you take the time to get to know even a piece of someone’s story, you will come to realize that we all have more similarities than we think. As I said before, people fear what they do not understand, but I truly do not think there is anything better than trying to gain an understanding while speaking from the heart.

_{*Sarah's story is part of KEEPING IT REAL — a series of personal stories that will take you deeper into the lives of people with CP. Each person makes different choices based on what works for them, and we’ll showcase that — highlighting what life is like for them on a daily basis, what they care about, and the ways CP impacts them.} 

_{The KEEPING IT REAL blog is intended solely to raise awareness about the varied human experience with cerebral palsy and shouldn't be read or construed to contain any medical advice, medical endorsement, or other endorsement by Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation. Only you and your doctor know what's best for you. Please consult your doctor for medical advice.}