Having cerebral palsy is quite the challenge. It is a round-the-clock job that requires dedication and a great deal of hard work. This can get very tiring and frustrating as it sometimes feels like you never get a break. I, for one, can attest to this. My name is Jason Carr and I was born with cerebral palsy. During birth, the umbilical cord became wrapped around my neck and I was unable to breathe. My brain did not get enough oxygen and the doctors had to intibate me. As a result of this, when my brain sends messages to the rest of my body, it sometimes misfires and causes my body to do things that I do not want it to do. As you can probably tell, this can, and does, get very frustrating. It takes a large amount of patience and perseverance to get through each day…some of which can be quite overwhelming!
As I continue to age and mature, I try to get better at living with my disability. I find new ways to deal with the things that came up as obstacles the day before. I have explored many different options throughout my lifetime with the hope of making my life more easy and enjoyable. I will discuss these options in later posts, but some of them include a baclofen pump, oral medication, hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and tons of different therapies. Some of these have worked, while others have not. This is information that, although each case is unique, may save you time and money in the long run.
I can honestly say that two of the hardest things about having a disability are dating and a lack of good communication skills. These are also subjects that I will devote entire blog posts to as I think they are important. There are so many things that people take for granted and who do not realize that not everyone has. I do not see myself as being “disabled”, so it is hard to understand why others look at me differently. As I grow older, however, I see that people are starting to respect me more and have a greater appreciation for what I have to go through. This respect, however, does not come without hard work on my part. I have had to become more outgoing and better able to stick up for myself in order to gain this respect.
My disability has also brought me blessings as well in the midst of all my struggles. For example, I have been able to travel around Europe to countries such as Italy, France, and Hungary. I have met very famous people such as the Pope, the Queen of Spain, and Kareem Abdul Jabar. I also have succeeded in my goal of graduating from a college away from home. This was very important to me because I want to be as independent as possible. I was able to live in a dorm room, on my own, and, by doing this, I proved to myself that, once I find a job, I can move out from my parents house and live on my own.
Now, I am in the midst of a job search, which I have found is not easy at all. It is difficult for people without a disability to find a job, let alone a person that has one. I have no doubt, however, that if I continue to pursue it, I will find one…hopefully in the near future. Right now, I am looking into a job in college administration or with the federal government. I would love to work in Washington DC or on a college campus with disabled students.