Tag Archives: special needs

Day 1239: “Invisible” by Hunter Hayes

Hear me out, there’s so much more to life than what you’re feeling now
Someday you’ll look back on all these days and all this pain is gonna be… Invisible

– Invisible, Hunter Hayes

It’s 12 : 12 PM on day 1239 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read Ezra 6, feed myself All Bran Flakes for breakfast, publish my Disability of the Day feature, practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles, stretch my hamstrings and promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – nobody donated so far today either.

Yesterday I heard “Invisible” by Hunter Hayes the song tells us that it’s okay to be different and that the pain we’re feeling right now is not permanent I wish I heard this song when I was in my teens it would have made such a difference. Listen to “Invisible” by Hunter Hayes below:

Day 1237: Happy Birthday Mom

Leave a reply

An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. – Rudyard Kipling

It’s 1 : 22 PM on day 1237 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, pray, read Ezra 4, feed myself eggs with bread for breakfast, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – my aunt and uncle donated $100 (thank you aunty and uncle) which brings my total raised to $233.85 I am so happy and grateful :)– publish my Disability of the Day feature, help our housekeeper make scones – it’s my mom’s birthday today and I really wanted to do something nice for her so I enlisted our housekeeper’s help and we made scones (I read out the recipe and instructed her on what to do and she did it) hopefully mom will enjoy the scones when she gets back – and chatted to our neighbor – she came by to drop off the pudding she made for mom’s birthday she’s the sweetest woman she remembers all our birthdays and brings us all something people like her make me want to be a better person.

Today is my mother’s birthday which is an important day to me because I wouldn’t be who I am without her she has taught me faith, love and strength. Happy Birthday mom thank you for all the lessons you’ve taught me and all the things you do for me I hope I’m the kind person you can be proud of.

Day 1236: Why I’m raising money for Elton John AIDS Foundation (UK)

Leave a reply

People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it – that’s what I’ve come to understand.

It’s 12 : 46 PM on day 1236 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read Ezra 3, feed myself eggs with bread for breakfast, publish my Disability of the Day feature, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – no luck today either – and make sandwiches as part of Virginia’s Sandwich Run.

As you may know I’m raising money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (UK) via my Justgiving page aside from the intial burst of donations (for which I’m VERY grateful) the response has been underwhelming so today I’m going to share with you a few short films by the Elton John AIDS Foundation (UK) in the hopes that after watching them you will believe what I believe that nobody should die of HIV/AIDS in this day and age. Watch short films by the Elton John AIDS Foundation (UK) below and if you are moved by what you see please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Eradicate-AIDS and make a donation.

Day 1235: Slaying dragons and what parents don’t say

Leave a reply

You don’t always get to slay the dragon some days the best you can hope for is that you make the dragon a little wobbly – that’s what I realized this morning.

It’s 12 : 15 PM on day 1235 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read Ezra 2, feed myself All Bran Flakes for breakfast, publish my Disability of the Day feature, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – nobody donated so far today either I can’t believe people don’t want to spare a child the hardship of living with HIV/AIDS even though it is within their power to do so – practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles and stretch my hamstrings.

This morning I realized you don’t always get to slay the dragon some days the best you can hope for is that you make the dragon a little wobbly parents tell their kids you can be anything you want to be but what they fail to mention is that most of your adult life is going to be spent becoming that which you want to be it’s not always easy, fun or exciting but it’s life. Are you disappointed that you’re not slaying dragons every day of your adult life like you thought you would growing up?

Day 1234: How to raise a kind child? Lead by example

Leave a reply

Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing. ~Albert Schweitzer

It’s 12 : 21 PM on day 1234 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read Ezra 1, publish my Disability of the Day feature,feed myself All Bran Flakes for breakfast, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – nobody donated so far today – practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles and stretch my hamstrings – because it’s cool today stretching my hamstrings was even more painful than usual (everything from hormones to the weather affects how stiff I am).

Last night I read “Raising a Kind Daughter” by Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis in the blog post Kari basically says if we want children to be kind to each other we need to be kind to each other it makes sense I can’t expect my brother to be kind if I’m cruel, I can’t expect my brother to be generous if I’m stingy, I can’t expect my brother to be courteous if I’m rude… I can’t expect anyone, adult or child, to be anything I’m not. Are you everything you want the children in your life to be?

Day 1233: 10-year-old Jahmir Wallace plays trumpet using his feet

Leave a reply

Being differently-abled doesn’t mean you can’t do things it just means you have to learn how to do things a little bit differently – that’s what I’ve come to realize.

It’s 12 : 09 PM on day 1233 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, feed myself All Bran Flakes for breakfast, read 2 Chronicles 36, publish my Disability of the Day feature, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – no donations so far today but my friend Noxi made a £20 donation yesterday (thanks Noxi) which brings my total raised to $133.85 – practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles, stretch my hamstrings and edit and promote my fundraising page some more – still no luck.

Yesterday evening I watched 10-year-old Jahmir Wallace who has no arms playing the trumpet with HIS FEET if this little boy can play the trumpet with his feet what can’t all of us do. Watch Jahmir Wallace playing the trumpet below:

Day 1232: Cerebral Palsy = Incompetence?

Leave a reply

Having Cerebral Palsy doesn’t make me incompetent – that’s what I want the world to know.

It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 1232 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, go back to sleep – I had a massive headache and the left side of my jaw has been hurting for the past couple of days but I’m fine now (THANK YOU God) – stretch my hamstrings, feed myself egg with bread for breakfast, read 2 Chronicles 35, publish my Disability of the Day feature, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – my mother bless her heart saw how hard I was working on this campaign yesterday and offered to donate again I said thanks but no thanks I’m the one who started this campaign I can’t expect my parents to donate the whole $1000 and besides I sent emails to everyone I know even our reverend someone’s bound to visit my page and donate (she says hopefully) – and spend time outside.

Last night I was thinking about how people are surprised when I do ordinary everyday things like answer the phone or sleep in a bed by myself people don’t seem to get that I’m an ordinary twenty-two-year-old except for the fact that I can’t walk it frustrates the hell out of me. Do you see a differently-abled person and automatically assume that they are helpless?

Day 1231: Boyd Varty: What I learned from Nelson Mandela

2 Replies

Ubuntu: I am; because of you

It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 1231 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read 2 Chronicles 34, publish my Disability of the Day feature, feed myself All Bran Flakes for breakfast, go to church, publish my Kid of the Week feature and promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – still no luck.

Yesterday I watched “Boyd Varty: What I learned from Nelson Mandela” I really appreciated Boyd’s honest portrayal of Africa and Africans. If you want to know what Africa is really like watch “Boyd Varty: What I learned from Nelson Mandela” below:

Day 1230: Ending up on top in spite of the odds

Leave a reply

When you have a vision and are willing to work hard to make it a reality the odds don’t matter – that’s what I realized last night.

It’s 12 : 26 PM on day 1230 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read 2 Chronicles 33, publish my Disability of the Day feature, feed myself egg with bread for breakfast, go to the dentist – my gum hurt on the left side and my brother, my mom and the housekeeper said they saw a hole in one my teeth but I got in the dentist’s office he examined me, took a few x-rays and told me that I had no cavities talk about embarrassing – go with my my mom and brother to buy my brother a laptop and promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – no donations so far today.

Last night I said to my brother if 898 people donated $1 each I would reach my [Eradicate AIDS fundraising] goal by now to which he said what are the odds of that happening to which I said what were the odds of me building a well in Kenya, what were the odds of me raising a $1000 for Not For Sale, what were the odds of me raising money for WFP [World Food Programme], what were the odds of me raising money for bed nets [to prevent malaria] when you have a vision and are willing to work hard to make it a reality the odds don’t matter. Are your odds of success of little significance to you because you have a vision and are willing to work hard to make it a reality?

Day 1229: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Leave a reply

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” ― Ernest Hemingway

It’s 12 : 28 PM on day 1229 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read 2 Chronicles 32, publish my Disability of the Day feature, feed myself egg with bread for breakfast, promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign – no donations so far today either but a lot of people have promised to donate in Feb. I finally figured out why some people don’t want to be associated with AIDS it’s got nothing to do with the disease and everything to do with the way the disease is transmitted think about it nobody has a problem with somebody who has diabetes but some people do have a problem with people who have HIV/AIDS why because people who have HIV/AIDS are seen by society as either promiscuous or drug addicted – practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles and stretch my hamstrings.

Yesterday afternoon I finally finished reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee the book is about a lawyer named Atticus Finch who is called upon to defend an African American man who is accused of raping a young white woman but it’s about so much more than that it’s about doing the right thing even when you know things won’t go your way, it’s about injustice, it’s about how we slowly lose our innocence as we grow… this book reflects life as it is not life as we wish it was and aside from the fact that it was a tad bit slow I really enjoyed it.