Adolescent Patient Interview

We had a fantastic patient interview with a seventeen-year-old high school senior who has cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia. It was a real pleasure to have her speak; she was funny, engaging, educational, and poignant. She talked a bit about what it was like to be the first person in a wheelchair at her high school, how she had to work with teachers to meet her educational goals, and the impact of the disease on her life. But as she talked, she became incredibly inspiring; despite her disability, she skis, swims, plays soccer, uses facebook, hangs out with friends, has two college acceptances. She faces the same issues that all teenagers face: crushes, cliques, obsession with fashion, the increasing workload of high school. There were many funny points in the presentation, when the powerpoint stalled and she filled in by saying "So this one time, at band camp..." or when she referred to one of her pictures as the "braces and acne stage." She showed us pictures of her with friends, hanging out with the fire department, at a junior prom. The whole point of the presentation, I think, was to emphasize that teenagers with chronic diseases are first and foremost teenagers. They go through the same problems and situations as do we all. Patients with disabilities we cannot even imagine having are able to achieve an incredible and inspiring amount.