When I was a month old and living in the NICU, Mum and Dad drove back home from seeing me in Sydney,
knowing something was wrong.
They later found out ‘the something wrong’ was brain damage; PVL.
Because of that, I might never walk without support. Because of that, I might never have a long, spoken conversation with them. Because of that, my vision is impaired. Because of the brain damage, I have severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
The next year, we spent the Friday of the June long weekend dealing with emergency departments and ambulance rides!
Mum took me to hospital just after lunch... I was there until after 7pm
and then I went to another hospital - in another ambulance!
That was the first time I’d fought pneumonia (since leaving the NICU, anyway. I fought pneumonia a couple of times as a baby.)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder makes life difficult. Sometimes, you know what might trigger your PTSD. Sometimes you don’t know. The June long weekend is one of our known triggers.
Mum has been told to ‘get over it’ and ‘move on’ by people not strong enough to see her fighting. She fights every day; to be strong enough and to keep going. Dad does, too.
June weekends are full of memories of really difficult days; when life changing and life threatening diagnoses were thrown at us.
We remember.
We breathe in.
We stand up and we keep going.
Here’s to a long, safe and trouble-free June long weekend.
#cerebralpalsy #cancer #survivor #wheelchair #vision #epilepsy #speechless #DextersReality
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I Remember. Aunty Carol’s Version
Dexter’s Darkest Days
Who is Dexter?
When Wheelchair Stops Being a Dirty Word
Would You Like Some Cake, Dexter?
Physical Toll of Cerebral Palsy
It Takes Energy to Stay Strong
Walking Until It Hurts
How a Dollar Looks, for Dexter
Dexter's First Month
Dexter's Vision
Dexter's Cerebral Palsy
Dexter's Cancer
Who is Dexter?
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