Kelly Douglas

March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month! In honor of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, here are the top 15 things to know about cerebral palsy.

You deserve more. You deserve to reach for your dreams.

But last night, as I tearfully witnessed you choking, struggling to breathe, I was struck with the truth: Only you could have healed yourself from your addiction. It was too late for anyone else to save you.

Every time you break my heart, I fruitlessly attempt to convince myself that I’m better off without you. But, without fail, I relentlessly crave you as I crash down from the high I can only seem to find with you.

I’m searching for a man with a whole, but blemished heart, just like mine. Our souls similarly, beautifully imperfect, but not intertwined. 

As I basked in the warmth of self-love, I resolved to never again habitually deprive myself of the love I deserve.

Valentine’s Day. For some people, it’s a celebration of love and romance. For many others, it’s the dreaded “Singles Awareness Day.”

For the first time, I realized that in order to improve my mental health and garner hope for the future, I should remain open and honest about my struggles with mental illness, particularly on social media.

In professional settings, the responsibility of speaking about medical conditions in a neutral, edifying way should not fall exclusively on the client. It is the medical professional’s duty to use language that does not promote harmful, ableist stereotypes.

The perfectionism. The feelings of inadequacy. The desire to self-punish. My lifelong, complicated relationship with my appearance.

The moment I first watched my experiences as a person with cerebral palsy reflected back at me through the media was a powerful validation.

As you frantically pray to any God who will hear you in your desperation, you are struck with a resounding gratitude for all that surrounds you