My Story and Cerebral Palsy 1

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My name is JessePaul. I am 23 years old and have Ataxic Triplegic CP. I was born in Alabama on March 25, 1976 at 12:49 a.m. and weighed 4 lbs. 7 oz. I have CP because I was born 4 1/2 months early and my weight went down to only 1 lb 14 oz. Consequently, I spent the first 2 1/2 months of my life in the hospital. Doctors told my parents that I would not live past the age of three. By age 3, my parents were told that I would have to be confined to a wheelchair. Of course, my parents wouldn't hear of such a thing. Through hard work and support, I was able to learn to walk relatively well with crunches by the time I was 8. Today, I have just graduated from TROY STATE UNIVERSITY in Alabama, USA with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Business Administration. I have to say Ill never forget the response I received when the chancellor handed me my diploma.  Unlike those that were before and after me in line to get their diplomas, I got a REALLY BIG cheer from the crowd. My fellow classmates got them as well, but I got the entire audience.   Needless to say, it’s a feeling I will never forget :o)

I still use crunches, but I have a wheelchair to go places that would normally be too much walking distance and to help me do things around the house. I tried to do some things without the chair when I left home to go to college and got my apartment, but after walking around campus all day and finding you have to have both hands to do things (especially in the kitchen when you're cooking), it makes it much easier and faster.

I guess I can remember as far back in my life as the age of four. I attended the Children Center in Alabama. The school is designed to prepare those with physical and/or mental impairments to attend a regular school. I remember very clearly is my fourth birthday. I remember it well because I was so upset that my little brother showed up wearing my favorite E.T. T-shirt. I refused to celebrate rate my own birthday until my brother changed shirts. However, that didn't happen.

In the very early years of my life, being disabled didn't bother me that much. Being at the Children Center wasn't all that bad because I had yet to understand my disability. And the fact that I was always around others with disabilities had a lot to do with me being comfortable with my disability. However, I do remember one bad moment. I had graduated from the Children Center and was anxiously waiting to go to "regular school". However, my teacher and my parents felt that I wasn't mentally ready to attend elementary school. Therefore, I had to stay at the Center for another year.

Another time I remember was in Nashville Tennessee in 3rd and 4th grade. I was not allowed to attend the weekly student assemblies because they were in an upstairs loft-like area. The teacher would not let me try to get up the steps because she was afraid that I would fall and break something. I think it was because they were afraid they were going to get sued. I tried to convince the principal to have the assemblies moved to the lunchroom area. For some reason, the principal thought this was more trouble then it was worth. So I suggested that I get one of my teachers to try and carry me up the steps. Most people with CP are small and do not weigh much early in life and I was no exception. I knew for sure that one of my male teachers could easily carry me up the steps. The principal did not like that suggestion either. I t may have just been luck, but the next two weeks after I had that conversation with the principal; I won the perfect attendance of the week. The prizes were a free lunch for that week and a large chocolate cookie. Although the principal never admitted it, I think she rigged the drawing to try and make up for me not being able to attend the school rallies. Needless to say, I only attended one out of about 60 school assemblies in two years.

By far my worst experience in school was 5th grade while I attended Peter Crump Elementary in Montgomery, Alabama. This was the first school I had ever attended where it was not adapted for those with disabilities because the school had never had a student with a disability. The principal was kind enough to arrange my classes so that I would be able to get to them.

I never really fit in at this school. I do not remember ever having a single friend. The students discovered that they could easily blame things on me, which led to detention among other things. Always at lunch, no one would sit next to me. They would always put a seat or two between us. Whenever I tried to participate in projects or conversations with the other students, they would tell me to get lost or did not want anything to do with me because I was different.

GO TO: My Story and Cerebral Palsy 2 (2b)