Today, I will introduce you to a young man named Steven Hachigian. I hope his story will give you a new perspective on cerebral palsy (CP). I first met Steven by coincidence when my mother purchased his old adaptive bike for me to use. After that, we lost touch for…
Technology plays an important role in the life of someone with cerebral palsy (CP). A cellphone is high on the list of items I depend on to maintain my independence. My husband bought me my first iPhone several years ago despite my objections that I probably wouldn’t be able…
Third in a series. Read parts one and two. Dear Teachers of the United States, Hi, my name is Reo Kobayashi. I am 20 and live with cerebral palsy, which only affects my physical ability. I hope my story will help you treat students with physical disabilities…
Second in a series. Read part one. Dear people, My name is Reo Kobayashi, and I live with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and visual impairment, physical conditions that affect my mobility but don’t affect my mental capacity. If you’ve ever wondered how to interact with a physically…
First in a series. Dear caregivers and assistants, My name is Reo Kobayashi. I’ve lived with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and visual impairment all my life, and have had many assistants and caregivers over the years, including at school, at home, and out in public. Pictured below is…
The definition of success varies from person to person. It depends on how a person feels and on their capabilities and goals. As a woman who has cerebral palsy, my view of success obviously will be different than that of someone who can walk. My goal in life is to…
Dear Reo, It’s the day before you come to America. I know you’re thinking that you’re going there for a vacation like you did when you were 4 years old. But you’ll be gone for two months, and your return trip to Tokyo will be a brief one to attend…
Recently, I heard that people who exercise feel happier than those who are wealthy. I could hardly believe it, because people would always like to have more money. Being a fan of healthy living, however, I enjoy having the motivation to exercise. But cerebral palsy does pose an obstacle, especially…
My story of how I overcame depression and self-doubt started when I first moved to the United States from Japan when I was 6. My family and I were in search of a better quality of life for me, given my diagnosis of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and visual…
Second in a series. Read part one. It was on a weekend in March 2017. My high school classmates told me to check my admissions portal for the University of Southern California (USC). My mother and I opened the portal, and we saw on the right-hand side of the…