Tag Archives: Cerebral Palsy

Day 2008: My Parents, The Real Stars of my Story

The love of parents is the truest love of all – that’s what I keep realizing.

It’s 12 : 17 PM on day 2008 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 1 Peter 1, learn one new thing –Bones, stop growing after puberty and muscle and fat cells also stop dividing. But cartilage – that’s the plastic-like stuff in ears and noses – cartilage continues to grow until the day you die. Not only does cartilage grow, but the earlobes elongate from gravity.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 312 only $2 938 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

This morning I was thinking how sad it was that most people will never get to meet my parents, the real stars of my story, people see what I do but nobody sees my father who wakes me up every morning, puts me in my wheelchair and gives me water or my mother who sometimes has to take leave from work to stay with me because our housekeeper didn’t show up for work…nobody sees that but really behind this girl who aspires to be great are two extraordinary parents who love all their children with everything they have I hope one day I will love humanity the way my parents love me and my siblings. To mommy and daddy (dad I know you will see this because you’re always stalking me on Facebook LOL and for once I’m grateful because it will spare me the embarrassment of having to send you a link to this post): It’s not anybody’s birthday or anniversary but I just wanted you both to know that I appreciate the things you do for all three of us every day because of the two of you I know that love is a verb.

Day 2006: Regret, Embarrassment and Life

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Embarrassment lasts a few moments regret lasts a lifetime – that’s my message to the world.

It’s 12 : 25 PM on day 2006 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read James 4, learn one new thing – Poison Ivy is also a food source for animals. White-tailed Deer, Muskrat, and Eastern Cottontail eat the leaves and stems. Many birds, including crows, bluebirds, and turkeys eat the fruit. Insects munch on the leaves.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 297 only $2 953 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I realized it’s okay to embarrass myself for the things I believe in and care about embarrassment lasts a few moments regret lasts a lifetime.

Day 2005: Character and Wealth

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To be of character is a human being’s greatest wealth – that’s what I realized today.

It’s 12 : 05 PM on day 2005 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read James 3, learn one new thing – The name Pluto was suggested by Venetia Burney, an 11-year old school girl in England. She was interested in ancient mythology, and thought that Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, made a good name. She suggested Pluto, to match the Roman god names given to the other planets.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 297 only $2 953 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today I found myself thinking I would be okay even if I wasn’t rich as long as I was of character but then I realized to be of character is a human being’s greatest wealth.

Day 2004: 25 Smiles Campaign Two Months Later

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“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

It’s 12 : 29 PM on day 2004 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read James 2, learn one new thing – Generally, the horse has 205 bones (54 vertebral column, 36 ribs, 1 sternum, 34 skull, 40 front legs, 40 hindlegs). The number of tail coccygeal vertebrae is usually 18 but can also vary. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –yesterday Anishchachen donated $50 (thanks SO MUCH again chachen your support means the world to me 🙂 ) which brings the total raised to $3 297 only $2 953 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ).

Today marks the two month anniversary of my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train so far forty-eight people (including me and my family) have made donations to this campaign and between us we’ve donated $3 297 I am SO GRATEFUL and BLOWN AWAY (you guys honestly make me want to be a better human being). Thank you Sneha Abraham, Frank Burns, Gaynor Young and Barbara Royce, Justine Perry, Madalyn Sklar, Catherine Cook, @Maewmb, David Boutin, Sarah Britten, Jim Mahar, Nancy, Rema aunty, Paul and Juliet Merrell of Big Planet Radio, Bev Bern, Julie and Don Faughnan, Amit Abraham, Benjamin and Amelia, Athira Issac, Liesel, Priyachechi, Joubert Botha, LA Janssens, Anatoli, Arun Babu, Stan Faryna, My Paper Parties, Happy Odd Girl, Adam Butler, Deepuchachen, Tinuchachechi and Jerynchachen, Duane, My Paper Parities 2, Joyce Childers, Jacqui Mackway -Wilson of Go Social SA, Kevin B (on behalf of Lesley), Meg Guegan, Susanchechi, Reshma Jacob, uncle Abraham Matthew, Debbie McMannis, Anish Krishnankutty and everyone else who chose to donate anonymously for your generous donations. Thank you Jacqui Cooks, Caryn Gootkin, Jacqui Mackway-Wilson, Stephanie Young, Susannah Schaefer, Britt Michaelian, Pamela Eapen, Gaynor Young, Barbara Royce, Joubert Botha, Sue-Ann Allen, Jessica Ilunga, Lillian Chang, Lakshmi Pillai, Akhil Tomy, Jasminechechi, Preethachechi, Susanchechi, Saluchechi, Meera, Vishnu, Thara, Anjali, Neethu, Balu, Juliet Merrell, Kevin, Nadine Stander,Magdel Steyn, Shobha aunty, Rema aunty, Ruby aunty, Sharanya, Mitra and everybody else for helping spread the word about this campaign. ‏

[Update January 12, 2017: Campaign ended 2 days ago. Final total raised is $10 317.04 [enough money to sponsor 41 smiles]]

Day 2003: “Drop Your Stone” by Chris August

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If we’re pointing the finger

Three are pointing back at us, back at us

Do you not remember

Where we were before His love, before his Love?

Whatever you were gonna throw

Now’s the time to let it go, drop your stone

– Chris August, “Drop Your Stone”

It’s 12 : 08 PM on day 2003 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read James 1, learn one new thing –Interestingly, there is also a lot of oxygen on Venus and Mars, which is perhaps not surprising, since they are the closest planets to Earth and probably formed in similar conditions. In their cases, however, most of the oxygen is there in the form of carbon dioxide.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 247 only $3 003 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I heard “Drop Your Stone” by Chris August I loved the overall message of non-judgement although the part in the song that seemed to be judging gay people sort of contradicted the whole message of the song so I have mixed feelings about it. Listen to “Drop Your Stone” by Chris August below:

Day 2002: Lessons from 8 Women who’ve made me

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“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” – Maya Angelou

It’s 1 : 02 PM on day 2002 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Hebrews 13, learn one new thing –All jellyfish are Cnidaria, an animal phylum that contains jellies, sea anemones, and corals, among others. There are more than 10,000 species of Cnidaria, and less than 4,000 of these are Medusazoa—those animals we think of as jellyfish. Those 4,000 jellyfish can be divided into four different groups–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 247 only $3 003 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today being International Women’s Day I was thinking about all the woman who’ve impacted my life and I realized I am the sum total of all of them so I took the liberty of writing down my gratitude and some of the lessons I learned from each of them. Take a look:

Lessons from 8 Women who’ve made me

My ammachi (gran [maternal]) – ammachi taught me that even when the worst happens life carries on and we’ll all be more than okay [thinking of you ammachi].
Mommy – mommy taught me to have faith no matter what life throws at me [thank you mommy for bringing me into this world and giving me faith, hope and love I appreciate it always].
Neethu (my kid sister) – Neethu taught me to speak my mind and stand up for myself even when it might piss some people off [thanks Neetz because of you I will never be anybody’s doormat].
Titychechi and Tinuchechi (my cousins) – Titychechi and Tinuchechi taught me how to love but most importantly they taught me to never settle for anything except the best in life [thanks so much for everything chechis I might not need you to read me Rumpelstiltskin anymore but I will always need you].
Gerda Bence (my physiotherapist of almost 13 years) – Gerda taught me that it only takes ONE PERSON to believe in someone’s human potential and make them live up to it (when I was younger every time I went in for my appointment Gerda would ask me how things were going with school which I can’t remember anybody else ever asking me she fully expected me to be somebody in this life) [Gerda thank you so much for believing in me even when I didn’t I now know you were only pushing me because you always saw who I could be].
Nadine Stander (my dentist) – Nadine taught me how infectious passion can be (I’ve been to a lot of dentists in my time but none like her I’ve never meet someone so excited about cleaning teeth there’s a light in her eyes when she works it’s really great) [thanks for the lesson in passion Doc I will carry it with me forever I love you lots always].
Catherine Constantinides – Catherine has taught me courage, integrity and what it means to truly be of service but most of all she has taught me humility (one minute she’s knee-deep in dirt planting food gardens and the next she’s a judge on One Day Leader not everybody who has a life like hers manages to stay grounded in the essence of who they are but somehow she does and God bless her for it) [thanks for everything my dude I can honestly say I am a better human because of you which is why you, my forever and always superhero, are stuck with me for life LOL 🙂 ] .

Day 2001: “Things Not To Say To A South African / African” by Michael Cost

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There are so many misconceptions about South Africa perpetuated by the foreign media – that’s what I need the world to know.

It’s 12 : 02 PM on day 2001 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Hebrews 12, learn one new thing –The goose was the first bird to be domesticated by man. An ancient story tells how a flock of white geese raised the alarm when Rome was attacked by the Gauls, and thus saved the city.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Debbie McMannis donated $25 (thanks SO MUCH Debbie for your support it means the world to me ) which brings the total raised to $3 247 only $3 003 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I watched “Things Not To Say To A South African / African” by Michael Cost and I thought it was hilarious even though I had watched it a few times before the stuff in the video is actually what foreigners say to South Africans I try to laugh it off life is too short to get offended about everything. Watch “Things Not To Say To A South African / African” below:

Day 2000: 2000th Day of Blogging

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“Every time you post something online, you have a choice.
You can either make it something that adds to the happiness levels in the world—or you can make it something that takes away.

I tried to add something by starting Girl Online.

And for a while, it really seemed to be working.

So, next time you go to post a comment or an update or share a link, ask yourself: is this going to add to the happiness in the world?

And if the answer is no, then please delete.

There is enough sadness in the world already. You don’t need to add to it.”

― Zoe Sugg

It’s 12 : 10 PM on day 2000 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Hebrews 11, learn one new thing –Viruses are not considered “alive” because they lack many of the properties that scientists associate with living organisms. Primarily, they lack the ability to reproduce without the aid of a host cell, and don’t use the typical cell- division approach to replication.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 222 only $3 028 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Today is my 2000^th day of blogging consecutively (I’ve literally blogged every day for the past 2000 days- even when I didn’t have internet I wrote, saved my posts on the laptop and published them later – ) I’ve blogged through illness and grief, I’ve blogged on two different continents, I’ve blogged about everything from my favorite songs to my charity campaigns….basically I write every day about anything that is important to me which is hard sometimes I remember the days following my paternal grandmother’s death I was absolutely broken-hearted all I wanted to do was cry but somehow I managed to get up every day and write something blogging has taught me disciple and vulnerability. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who take time out of your busy day to read my random ramblings I’m most proud that through this blog we’ve been able to support non-profit organizations that make a massive difference in the world.

Day 1999: Leonardo DiCaprio’s speech at the Oscars

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“Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”- Leonardo DiCaprio

It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 1999 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Hebrews 10, learn one new thing – Laughing when tickled in our sensitive spots (under the arms, near the throat and under our feet) could be a defensive mechanism. Research suggests that we have evolved to send this signal out to show our submission to an aggressor, to dispel a tense situation and prevent us from getting hurt. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – yesterday Anatoli donated $10 (thanks SO MUCH Anatoli for your ongoing support it means the world to me ) which brings the total raised to $3 222 only $3 028 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Recently I watched Leonardo DiCaprio’s speech at the Oscars he did the usual thank-yous then it’s like he flipped a switch and turned into an environmentalist it was fantastic to see a person with influence intentionally using his influence for the greater good. Watch Leonardo DiCaprio’s speech at the Oscars below:

Day 1998: 5 Things You Should NEVER Do To A Differently-Abled Person

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The road to hell is paved with good intentions – that’s what I keep realizing.

It’s 12 : 30 PM on day 1998 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Hebrews 9, learn one new thing –AU measures the distance of the Earth to the Sun. At its closest point, Pluto is only 29 astronomical units from the Sun (4.4 billion km or 2.75 billion miles). And at its most distant, it can be 49 AU (7.29 billion km, or 4.53 billion miles) from the Sun.– have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $3 212 only $3 038 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far ).

Yesterday I uploaded a video titled “5 Things You Should NEVER Do To A Differently-Abled Person” because well-intentioned though most people are some of them do to me what I would NEVER do to another differently-abled person. Watch “5 Things You Should NEVER Do To A Differently-Abled Person” below: