Hi Felice,

Michael Collis here, 50. Your question asking why parents seek cures and
"relief" from c.p. struck me, because my sisters believed in my being healed
to the point that they took our parents and me to a church that had a
"healing" ministry.  I got liberally soused with olive oil that day, and
that was all.  :)  People do not believe disability is natural, and parents
really have a rough time, because all the things they thought they would do
with Jr. have gone out the window; things like play ball, roughhousing and
wrestle, hike and play hide and seek.

My mom wanted me to walk more than anything, mostly because Mrs. Greene had
a daughter who could walk, but Mrs. Greene's daughter was mentally disabled,
and I'm not, so my mom learned walking was not as important as she thought.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Felice Tanya Vaiani
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 1:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: new member intro and some well-meant comments...

Hi all,
Miss Felice Vaiani here. I'm 27 from Melbourne
Australia. Thank Goddess that this is an active list.
I have had Spastic Ataxic Quadriplegic CP resulting
from brain trauma after a difficult birth. I am
training to be a mentor for others with disabilities.

I believe this is a list primarily for adults with CP
and I am curious as to WHY so many parents on here
seek 'cures' and 'relief' for their children. With
-much- reverence to you all, having CP is okay. If
your kids hurt it is fine to medicate them and seek
some therapy, but please do not shelter them from the
experience of being a person proud of having CP. Let
them revel in it. I know I do and all the therapy in
the world wouldn't change who I was inside.

Thanks, I hope to find friends (and wise detractors)
here.

In strength,
Fiz