I worried about being a mom with a disability. Now, I've embraced it — all with one hand

Finding out I was pregnant was one of the few times I doubted my ability to overcome and adapt.

This First Person column is the experience of Kiaira Fedorus, who lives in Grande Prairie, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

Time stood still while I sat hunched over on the toilet seat, holding the positive pregnancy test.

I'd always wanted to become a mother but because I have spastic cerebral palsy, it never felt realistic. And though I'd been raised to never say "I can't" without giving it my all, finding out that I was pregnant was one of the only times where I doubted my ability to overcome and adapt.

It wasn't that I was unsure if I would be a good mom. Instead, it was the uncertainty. Was my body capable of growing a baby and giving birth? What about the years ahead of raising a child?

When I told my mother, I was looking for some sort of comfort and knew that she would understand my anxiety. She has always assured me that I'm more than capable of handling any obstacle, and I needed that reassurance yet again.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/first-person-kiaira-fedorus-motherhood-disability-1.7419602

Kiaira's My Life Without Limits podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6knJPGL9QzAvN6y0JXBGTv?si=531b5958e152400c