Living with Cerebral Palsy: Finding Balance in My Twenties
By Ellise Hollie Hayward, Disabilities Correspondent
I’m a young lady in my twenties, living in a body shaped by cerebral palsy. I’m young in age but my experiences have made me feel older in many ways.
As I move through adulthood, pain and fatigue come with me every day. They are not things I chose, but they are things I have learned to live with quietly. Most people do not see them, yet they influence almost everything I do.
A long day out — something many people see as normal — can take days for me to recover from. My energy is limited, and sometimes it runs out before I realise it was nearly gone. Fatigue can arrive suddenly and heavily, followed by pain that is harder to ignore.
Living with cerebral palsy has taught me to understand my limits.
Over time, I have learned to listen to my body and respect what it needs. This has not always been easy, especially as a young adult who wants to experience life fully.
Like many people in their twenties, I want to explore, socialise, laugh and say yes to every opportunity. I want independence and freedom.
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But I have also learned that rest is not a weakness; it is necessary. Sometimes I must slow down, even when my heart wants to keep going.
Life with cerebral palsy is a constant balance. I weigh joy against recovery, plans against energy, and ambition against wellbeing. Every day involves small decisions about what I can do and how I can care for myself at the same time.
Cerebral palsy affects everyone differently, and many challenges are invisible.
Awareness is important because understanding helps to break assumptions about what disability looks like. People may see moments when I am enjoying life, but they do not always see the effort, planning and recovery behind those moments.
During Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, I hope people take time to listen and learn from lived experiences like mine.
Disability is not only about limitations; it is also about resilience, adaptation and learning new ways to move through the world.
If you would like to learn more about Cerebral Palsy click here
