Keeping Up With Jerry: A collection of scenes based upon personal recollections and reflections from the life of somebody who has cerebral pa

ISBN-13: 9781453897171 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 146 str.

Joe Leroy Hemphill

Opis

How do you let the world know that you have a strong personality and ideas about many subjects? How do you express your opinions, needs, and desires? You tell people or write them down. But, what if you cannot speak clearly, cannot use your hands to write or pick things up, cannot take care of yourself or do the smallest task on your own? How do you then express yourself and get your needs met? People with cerebral palsy face some or all of the issues above, depending upon how severe their cerebral palsy is. Cerebral palsy happens when sufficient oxygen does not reach the brain for a prolonged period of time. This usually happens at or during the birth process. Everyone can have a slightly or profoundly different outcome and severity of disability. Some experience developmental disabilities. Some with cerebral palsy are able to walk and some are not. It is the same with speech and using their hands to do the simple everyday tasks that most people just do without thinking. This book is about Jerry who has had cerebral palsy from birth and has faced the challenges of expressing himself and getting his needs met from the people around him. It is also about all the people who have come in and out of his life. The author of Jerry's story based this book upon his own experiences of living life with the challenges of cerebral palsy. During his childhood, his family was there to help him grow up strong and independent. When he was a young adult, the people around him quite often got in the way of his growth and aspirations. In his later years, while living independently, he didn't back down from the many challenges that came his way. Jerry has insisted throughout his life that everyone acknowledge him as the strong, involved, caring, and well-rounded individual that he is. You will see the role that each person in his life has played in allowing Jerry to have his personality shine through his profound disabilities.