Born with cerebral palsy seeks disability naturalization as ‘a different way to live’

“While my diagnosis doesn’t define me, I think it’s a big part of me. Today, I’m grown up and down that path a little bit, I like to give back a little bit of all the possibilities that I had And I love creating this space where we can all get to know each other and help each other,” Augustina tells of her project, which already has 30,000 loyal followers on Instagram.

Known as Kiki, she is the sixth in her family and as she gets older, her parents notice something unusual is happening. He can’t stand upAnd He cannot crawl or sit. Without wasting time, they consulted various pediatricians and specialists until they reached a neurologist, who diagnosed him. Cerebral Palsy around his freshman year. After the verdict was denied, her mother left the office bearing a jab and affirming, “My daughter will dance in Kowloon.”

Surrounded by a family that always accompanies her and her friends whom she considers a “gift of life”, the young woman says she has had a very happy childhood. She attended a school that knew how to comfort her, contain her and never make her feel different from others. Although Agustina admits that “when I got older I started calling my condition after it. I never questioned why I went to therapy when the rest of the boys went to English. But My childhood was very happyAnd I have never suffered from bullying. Except for one time when I ran a marathon and obviously finished last because at that level I was unaware of my disability. I’ve been involved in dance competitions, races, among other things.”

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Although cerebral palsy occurs as a result of a brain injury that affects muscle control, it varies from person to person. Despite the fact that paralysis took a toll when it came to doing things, especially motor skills, every day her relatives encouraged her to go for more and treated her as an equal. If she was up for anything, he knew she had his back. She was At the age of four, he learned to read with the help of his older brother.who sat next to her and taught her the letters.

Throughout her life, the advertising graduate has had to undergo five surgeries to improve her gait. Resilience by nature, giving up is never an option. “I was so brave for those things, and I didn’t mind lifting my body because I knew I had better be better, but hey, After each surgery, I had to learn how to walk with this new alignment that was suggested to me. It always started over every time he left the operating room,” he recalls.

It was in 2016, within the framework of Cerebral Palsy Day, when Kiki was able to bring out on her social networks what she had experienced during all that time since her childhood. A moment marked before and after, and it will be the beginning of a new passion.

As a result of this post, many people have approached her, either because they have the same condition or because they know someone with it. After meeting repeatedly with those who wrote to him, he realized, “The importance of sharing, and how nice it is to know that there are others experiencing the same thingBecause there are people out there who say to you, “I understand you,” but when they’re not living exactly what you’re living, it’s very hard for them to put themselves in your shoes or to really feel like they understand what’s going on with you.

A fan of social networks, I decided to create an Instagram account with the name We leftbased on the classic ’89 movie, my left footwhich tells the story of a man who, despite severe cerebral palsy, managed to become a successful painter and writer.

Conquered by fear a bit, Kiki had some qualms about how handicap would be received in the world of networking when it’s usually a place to show more superficial things. However, to his surprise, it was widely accepted. “People have been dying to know what it is like to live with a disability and it has had a huge impact, both from people with and without cerebral palsy, which is the biggest challenge for me because these are the people I look for to make it normal,” he said excitedly.

During these five years, what started as meet-ups between acquaintances has become a strong community where everyone can talk without feeling judged and, above all, feel like an accompaniment. A good example of this strong bond is the case of two mothers who lost their children and after meeting through Nuestro Pie Izquierdo, they implemented a workshop to accompany children with disabilities.

Another great opportunity to get to know each other was at a face-to-face meeting at the Campo Argentino de Polo, which was attended by 400 people.

As a goal, Agustina shares, “What I’m trying to convey is that disability is a different way to live, but not for that reason a more miserable way. He also sought to spread this look of pity and grief, so that people could really lend a hand if we needed it and give us a chance.”

Reflecting on what she learned throughout her 38 years of life with cerebral palsy, Kiki concludes: “I think I’ve learned that sometimes the boundaries are more in the head than in the physical, that if one wants to get somewhere, there are alternative ways to do it and always be surrounded by the right people.” , with people who trust you and who believe you can really make it happen. If you really have that desire, you can do it.”

More information at: https://nuestropieizquierdo.com/

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