My name is Danielle. I was born ten weeks premature in 1981. I have mild cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia). Everyone’s CP is unique. Cerebral palsy is a physical disability that affects the body’s ability to control its muscles. There are different kinds of CP, and within each type, varying degrees, from mild to profound. When I was young I was told that CP is permanent, but “not progressive.” That is, it does not worsen over time. However, it’s more accurate to say that while the damage to the brain does not progress, how CP affects the body over time, can and does change. For me, mild spastic diplegia means that the muscles in my hips and legs are very tight. I have limited control of my pelvis/legs/ankles/feet, and I have very little balance. My left side is more affected than my right. For more information about cerebral palsy in general, visit the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
The most common question I got as a child was, “What happened to your legs?” By about third grade, after many conversations with my parents, I had developed a short, straightforward response that my peers could understand: “I was born too early. Some blood vessels in my brain broke, and now my brain can’t tell my legs what to do very well.”
These days, when a child asks, “Why do you walk like that?”–or often, “Why do you walk like this?” followed by an imitation–I say, “I have a disability. This is the way I was born.” That’s usually all the explanation they want or need in the moment.
Often, adults still discourage their kids from asking me questions. But not always. One awesome mom in the grocery store, to her child’s loud, whispered, “Why is she walking like that?” said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her?”
I generally welcome questions. Do I always feel like talking about my disability? Of course not. But I understand questions and stares. I find myself inclined to stare at new and different things too. People are curious. I meet the starer’s eyes. I smile. It’s my way of letting them know, I see you too. I’m a person like you. I’m friendly.
What Happened to Your Legs? 