Guest Blog: Thomas Talbot – My Racerunning Story
Thomas Talbot is 13 years old and has Cerebral Palsy – it hasn’t stopped him from becoming a successful international Racerunner. Here’s his story. . . My story Hi – my name is Thomas. I’m 13 years old and I live near Lincoln. I am an International RaceRunner and I have cerebral palsy. I have […]
Challenges of a Disabled Mum: The School Run
How the time flies! It doesn’t seem five minutes since I was breastfeeding and watching my little boy learning to walk. Now, he’s just started school and I’m just like any other mum doing the school run every day. Well, not quite. The school run can be stressful enough but add a wheelchair to the […]
Open Letter to All Bus Drivers – from a Wheelchair User Passenger
You see me waiting at the bus stop and I try to search your face for a clue as to which camp you fit into. You see, you fit into two camps and sometimes I can’t tell until you pull up and open the doors. All the time, I’m filled with dread and anxiousness, wondering […]
My “PIP” journey: Please don’t treat me as a number
Tomorrow is my PIP assessment and for those who are not familiar, PIP stands for “Personal Independence Payment” and is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA). I’m nervous for two reasons: a) I’ve heard and read about many people who have had a bad experience of the PIP assessment process and b) my experience thus far […]
Building an inclusive, more tolerant future
I just posted on my Flyinglady Website about how I love going into schools and doing Disability Awareness sessions for the children; I’m so passionate about it that I offer the sessions for free wherever I possibly can. The sessions help kids to understand that everyone is different and that’s a good thing; life would […]
Challenges of a Disabled Mum: Capturing Memories
It’s something most parents don’t even think about. Quickly grabbing the camera to capture your child’s first of something is what every parent has done at some point. Indeed, my hubby has thousands of pictures capturing everything from Jack’s first taste of sweet potatoes to his first attempt at writing his own name. Each are […]
Challenges of a Disabled Mum: Finding support & information
Before I became pregnant with Jack, I wanted to see a medical professional who would be able to advise me on the impact that pregnancy might have on my condition, Cerebral Palsy. I wasn’t naive, I knew it would be physically tough but I wanted reassurance I suppose, that it was possible and I wanted […]
Challenges of a Disabled Mum: A to B and beyond
Last week’s blog talked about the challenges I’ve faced getting my little boy from A to B as a disabled mum. With some creative thinking, we’ve managed to get out and about locally, visiting friends and family. However, going any further has presented bigger challenges which aren’t so easily resolved. Since the age of 13, […]
Challenges of a Disabled Mum: A to B
I knew when I fell pregnant with my son that motherhood would present more challenges to me than most and the thoughts about how I would cope gave me a few sleepless nights. I knew that I wouldn’t be the same as other mums, that I’d have to think creatively to overcome my disability in […]
Writing is lonely but feedback helps!
I love writing and always have. I remember being in the final year of primary school and winning a writing competition for a short story. My last book, “Does it wet the bed?”, had been in my head for years before I finally began putting it on paper. For those of you that might not […]