Cathy Oliver

My mother told me that I was born a 4 lb. premature blue baby, which means I had a hole inside my heart. I was also born with a double curvature of the spine, drooping eyelid, clubfoot, and a general nervous disorder later diagnosed as cerebral palsy (CP).

My early years were spent in doctor's offices with one health crisis after another. My heart had to work extra hard to keep me alive. Because of this, I didn't learn to walk without assistance until I was three and even then my balance was poor.

I didn't start school until I was seven. My older sister Cheryl and her friends would take turns carrying me on their backs. In the winter, they would pull me on a sleigh.
When I was in Grade two, I had my first operation to raise my left eyelid; a second operation was required.

In Grade three, I was very ill with headaches, dizziness and vomiting. I was diagnosed with a brain abscess and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). In surgery, the abscess was drained and the fluid was removed. The operation made my Cerebral Palsy worse, and decreased my balance due to the massive weight loss.

I had missed a lot of school; it was decided that I would be transferred to a special education program at another school. There was speech therapy and physiotherapy during this time. When I was 13, my cardiologist Dr. Logan, repaired my heart damage. Four defects were fixed, and my skin turned from blue to pink. Soon after the surgery, I was diagnosed with CP.

When I was 15, I started High School in the Work Study Program. It was structured so you went to school in the morning, and worked in the afternoon. I applied myself, and after the first year, I won Student of the Year. When I graduated, I worked at the Holy Cross Hospital as a service aide, where I serviced and sanitized carts. One day I fell and injured my groin. My employment ended after 11 years of service.

During the past 13 years, I graduated from Vocational schools and Mount Royal College, where I finished with a 3.88 GPA. I could not find employment, so I decided to volunteer at the Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta (CPAA). In the five years that I have been there, I have learned a great deal.
Just because a person is born with disabilities doesn't mean that they should be treated any differently. We are all human and should be treated equally.