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For Kids With SCI |
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Being a kid with a spinal cord injury is hard. There is so much to adjust to! You're growing, you're body's changing and now you have to deal with a spinal cord injury! I know from experience that sometimes you want to pull the covers over your head and never come out. Everything is embarrassing; the way other kids look at you, how your parents talk to you and brothers and sisters who can still be a pain! Kids at school can be the worst. Sometimes I think they are mean just to see us cry, but you don't have to let that happen to you. I used to cry all the time when people stared at me. I kept to myself and never tried to make friends after all my friends left me when I got hurt when I was 12. That made me so sad and lonely. I wasted a lot of years feeling sorry for myself until one day I decided that I wasn't going to do that anymore. You know why? My crazy older brother got sick of my pity party. When we were at the mall he started pushing me through a store yelling, "Everybody stare at the handicapped girl! Yep, she's in a wheelchair! Everybody LOOK!" I know it's hard to believe, but he sure did...and I thought my head would pop right off because I was so embarrassed! That day taught me something (after I stopped thinking about murdering my brother). I learned that people stare, but it's up to me to choose how I deal with that. When I felt sorry for myself and acted shy, never reaching out to make friends, bullies made fun of me while good kids felt sorry for me. When I started talking to other kids and tried to get to know them (even though butterflies were fluttering like crazy in my stomach!), I started making friends. Not all the time; there were still a lot of jerks. But I sure had more friends than when I didn't try! Having friends makes everything easier. It's too hard to be all alone, and even though family is a great thing to have, sometimes you really need that special friend who shares all your best secrets. I know being in a wheelchair is hard, but you can do it. If people stare at you, smile. Maybe they think you're cute or like the outfit you have on. Never assume the worst. You are more than just a kid in a wheelchair, but it's up to you to show other people that. Mom and dads can be the hardest to convince! They think you're a baby forever. My mom sure did, but she understood that I wanted to be on my own. Be patient with your parents; they want what's best for you. Someday, when you're ready, you'll know what's best for you and you can work WITH them to have the life you want to live. I found these cool websites that might help you understand your spinal cord injury or show you that there are other kids just like you:
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