Hi everybody!
This is one aspect where we are competing, because next year I plan on winning that , and I was lucky enough to benefit from it last year. Unfortunately, because I have spent 27 years of my life with spasticity and little muscle control, recovery proves to be a steep learning curve for my brain and body. Nevertheless, I don't give up, because ever since the age of 7 my dream has been to beat CP. So far, I've been doing pretty well: I'm a competitive swimmer and I study at University (although, sometimes getting to class can be very hard when my legs are sore from therapy and training). Since the surgery, my walking and swimming has improved, but I have a long way to go and the therapy is very costly. I also might need additional surgery to lengthen my Achilles' tendons, and that's where my family needs your help. Over the years my parents have invested a lot in different treatments and therapies. This last surgery has cost us over 60.000 dollars. If I end up not needing the operation all the money raised will go towards paying for physical therapy and especially helping all my other friends who need money for SDR and other treatments.
One of these very good friends of mine is Alek Poultin, whom my family met while in Saint Louis. Alek is half English and half Swedish, but right now he lives in Sweden with his mom Anna, dad Phill, and little sister Alva. Positive and upbeat, together they go to all sorts of places and do all sorts of things never letting CP get in the way.
Alek, like any other boy who's on the verge of becoming a teen, likes sports and music, and hanging out with his friends. He also goes to school( by the way, Alek is very intelligent and especially good at math for what I've heard:)). However, unlike other boys his age, Alek has to shoulder an enormous amount of responsibility for his intense physiotherapy regime. In spite of all the challenges, he always has a huge smile on his face and a contagious sunny personality. Recently, he has completed an intensive program with Mike Poole in Scotland and was chosen for their 2014 client sponsorship program as a reward for his perseverance.This is one aspect where we are competing, because next year I plan on winning that scholarship! No offense Alek:)!
They are really very nice people and we had a lot of fun together. I particularly remember our visit to the Saint Louis Zoo. It was a little hard for us since Alek and I were at the very beginning of our recovery process, but we didn't let the difficulties stop us from having a nice time and seeing things! The only downside was the quality of the food:)
The tendon lengthening is not a quick fix and I'll still need to work very hard to gain more control in my feet and a better gait pattern. Therapy can be very frustrating, because you constantly need somebody else to show your brain how to move your own body. But I keep fighting everyday, because MY DREAM IS TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN BEAT CP! If one child believes, one family believes, one doctor believes, one physio believes, then maybe we all will one day! And nobody will have to struggle to walk or run! I BELIVE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT CP, DO YOU?
