From Where I Sit: Making My Way With Cerebral Palsy

by Shelley Nixon

This autobiographical account of a young woman explores how it feels to live with cerebral palsy while struggling to have a full life despite the challenges facing her every day. Original.

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short book about a woman growing up with Cerebral Palsy intermixed with stories and poems she has written. It was really sweet reading about how this woman never gave up even when she definitely could have!

[j u d i t h · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was all in all really good. It was easy, and it only took me about 2(ish) hours. I thought it ended kind of abruptly, but the writing was great and could really understand the author's POV

[Kristena Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve known almost all my life or what it feels like all my life. She is a great writer and amazing person! Don’t ever let anyone take away your shine! Disability or no
Disability everyone shines!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of knowing Shelley and had also gone to school with her. Like most kids, I didn't fully understand her CP because it wasn't talked about or discussed in school. That was the biggest mistake the school made because I didn't find out until now that hers wasn't anything having to do with a mental disability, only a physical one. I can't believe it took me this long to come to understand Shelley wholly as a person. This book showed me what a brave and courageous mother she has who had pushed for her daughter in ways that only mothers can. This book also solidified my opinion of the health care system as it still is the same way today - not giving any information out and making patients be 150% proactive when the doctors don't give the help or info you need. It's a health care system that needs a serious overhaul for this reason. This book showed me what a loving family Shelley has - which I already knew, but never to the extent that I have found out. Since her CP was never brought up in school, and we were never required to take a class that explained it (I think health class briefly glossed over it), most of us didn't know what Shelley could and could not do. I, like many, believed that she was limited in everything - not knowing the real God's honest truth. This provided that horrible buffer, this not knowing, and made it harder for Shelley to navigate the social landscape of school. Knowledge is power and if only we, her classmates, knew, it would have made life easier on her as well as us! It's terrible to think of how much time went by before I could realize this gem of information. I loved her stories of her family and her humor. This was a very quick read and only because I am fascinated by this girl's strength. I would love to see this book as mandatory reading in schools. Kids need to understand and embrace differences - not just the cultural ones (which are stressed in schools) but other kinds of cultures as well (deaf, blind, gay & lesbian, developmental disabilities). I am so glad Shelley did so well with this book and is doing so well in life. I hope that she continues to write and lets us know how life has been since she turned 21!

[Library Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago I think it was right around the time that I read my left foot.
Shelley and christi are often authors I refer back to when feeling sorry for myself they remind me that I'm not alone