Hello my name is Tess, I am 17 years old and I have Cerebral Palsy. I live at home with my mum and dad, and my older brother. I am part of a large extended family with lots of cousins, aunties and uncles. I go to school at Roxburgh Secondary College and I am in year 11 doing VCE. I use an electric wheelchair to get around most of the time and sometimes walk short distances with my walking frame.
Some hobbies I pursue include swimming, going on outings with friends, playing on the computer, going on camps and enjoying weekly footy matches with my dad. “We are the navy blues.”
I see life as full of opportunities to make my own decisions, and having Cerebral Palsy can sometimes limit the choices I make in my life and so I am forced to think of other ways in which I can achieve the things I want to do. These difficulties include, squeezing into small shops with a wheelchair when shopping and going to a friend’s house for a visit or a sleep-over.
This affects my life because I find that people are scared to assist me as they are unsure of what to do. One day I plan on solving this issue by educating people to become more aware of disabilities.
After I finish secondary school, I would like to go to university to complete an arts or education degree. I am hoping to become a primary school teacher or a social worker. I really enjoy helping and educating children. I feel that if we nurtured our children as they grow and learn then in the future we will live in a better society.
My main aspiration is to show the world that I am a person with Cerebral Palsy who is ambitious and successful and to be a role model for people with Cerebral Palsy.
