Cerebral Palsy: A Story: Finding the Calm After the Storm

by Ilana Estelle

Living with cerebral palsy is enormously difficult. But what if you never knew you had it? This is the incredible story of Ilana Estelle. Born the second of premature twins, an hour apart, from a young age Ilana knew she was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 1960s, Ilana experienced first-hand the way that disability was, at the time, so often brushed under the carpet, not spoken about. Her constant physical and mental struggles made her feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood... and it took 46 years for her to find out why.

 

Part memoir, part motivational guide, this is Ilana's open and honest journey from an angry, confused child, knowing something was wrong, not knowing what was wrong, what her disability was, or that there was a diagnosis—to the "real" her—a courageous woman using her experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, resilience and change.

Genres: Disability, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published February 26, 2020

About the author

Ilana's Bio:

Ilana is an author and blogger whose work explores resilience, healing, and self-discovery through lived experience.

Struggling with concentration around her reading from an early age, she found school challenging – without understanding why. It wasn’t until much later in life that the reasons became clear. At 46, Ilana discovered she had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of two. A decade later, further testing revealed she is also autistic – two life-changing realisations that allowed her to better understand herself and step into her full identity.

Ilana is the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing, and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change. Her writing blends personal insight with themes of spirituality, emotional healing, and inner strength. Her third book reflects on her experience of anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She is also the founder of The CP Diary, a blog she began 15 years ago as a way to process her late diagnosis. It has since grown into a widely read platform covering lifestyle, health and wellbeing, with a global audience.

In addition to her books and blog, Ilana has contributed to health and wellbeing magazines, as well as local and national newspapers. Through her work, she encourages readers to rethink their challenges and find strength in their own journeys.

She can be contacted via email at ilana@thecpdiary.com or email: ilana@thecpdiary.com or through her author links:

https://www.instagram.com/ilanaestell...
https://www.facebook.com/thecpdiary
https://twitter.com/TheCPDiary
https://bsky.app/profile/ilanaestelle...
https://www.tumblr.com/thecpdiary
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilana-est...


Ilana's Story:

"Ilana was born with a disability she didn’t know she had until the age of 46, when through her medical notes she discovered she had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 2. At the point of diagnosis at 46, Ilana started on her writing journey.

Ten years after her cerebral palsy diagnosis, Ilana later discovered she also had Autism, which explains her childhood mental, emotional and mental struggles and her struggles with reading.

Those two discoveries turned out to be unique and life-changing experiences that forced Ilana to stand back and look at her life experiences differently. On her late cerebral palsy diagnosis, Ilana set up her website The CP Diary and uses her experiences and intuition to explore her emotional and physical health, with inspiring messages advocating resilience and change."

Ilana likes to spend her days writing and blogging about anything that contributes to her health and wellbeing. She is an animal advocate and is passionate about environmental issues. When she is not writing or tending to her blog @TheCPDiary, Ilana enjoys days out exploring the Yorkshire countryside.

Ilana lives with her husband in North Yorkshire. Her grown up son and daughter both live in London."

Reviews

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was interesting.
After the first 10 pages, I swear I was reading my biography. The amount of similarities between Ilana and I were staggering.
A premature twin, with a leg length discrepancy, scoliosis, and foot drop? Crazy. Although their precedence in people with cerebral palsy is probably fairly common. The main difference was the fact Ilana was in her 40s when she got the CP diagnosis, and I was only 2. Knowing the intervention I had throughout my school life, to think of someone not even knowing why she was different to her twin or her classmates totally floored me. As a primary school teacher, I am appalled there was noone who got any support for her.
After the first few chapters about her CP, this book becomes more of a self help guide, and can be applied by anyone. I have struggled over the years with certain parts of my mental health, and this book was an eye-opener, and has given me a real insight into a different approach. I hope I am able to use the advice in my daily life.
Fantastic.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this was billed as part-memoir, part- motivational I was delighted to get a copy via Netgalley. I'm a huge fan of Rosie Jones and am constantly dazzled by how she not only navigates her life but absolutely smashes it. I was hoping for the story of someone who had also thrived whilst having CP. I was also interested because I'd got no idea that there were such different degrees of CP that you might not be aware you had it. The only other people I've known with CP have been work colleagues who both also extensively used wheelchairs for their mobility.

Unfortunately this wasn't the book I'd expected. My fault. I'd really expected/wanted a more personal journey. I was hoping for more of a history included with the motivational/self-help/advice aspects of the book.

If what you require is a little personal history with a lot of motivational advice then this is the book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Red Door Books for the advance review copy.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely read non fiction as they drench me in reality when all I want in life is to escape reality. But something about the way the author approached me and the topic, I took up this book.

The story was the author Ilana Estelle’s life journey. Being born in the 1960s, in those times of ignorant doctors, the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy was obtained only when she was 46 years. It just led me to think about how tough her life must have been without the help she would have needed to live a normal life.

The book showed me that the author was a survivor. She was later diagnosed to be on the Austism Spectrum Disorder and had to deal with anxiety and depression. She grew from an angry, confused child to a mature woman over the pages. My respect for her increased manifold.

The beginning of her life was rough, but Ilana went to live a successful life even when she struggled every day. She completed her education via distance learning, then started her own website, The CP Diary, which helped more people, giving them information and steps to live their life in dignity. Each word written in the book not only spoke about the trials of her life, it revealed her determination to live every moment of her life completely.

This book was not only her memoir, it was a motivational guide too. It was a book of empathy and understanding where she showed ways to have a great family life, achieving physical and mental health. I was impressed with her healing process.

There were a few lines in the book which made me reflect too.

What has happened to empathy, tolerance, and understanding? Because that’s all it would take. If the shoe were on the other foot, others would expect nothing less from us.

This was so true. Hats off to this author, whose words were truly inspiring. And quite eye-opening.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person with cerebral palsy myself, I was very interested in this book. My disability isn't something that I talk about often, except with those closest to me, and I will talk about it if someone asks, but I am always interested to hear about the experiences of others with cerebral palsy. I connected quite deeply with the author's story, and I remember that when I was growing up, I felt as though my disability wasn't properly understood, that there were many misconceptions about it.

Parts of this book did make me tearful, but at the same time, I found it uplifting and inspiring. I felt the author expressed herself in a way that enabled everyone to relate to her. This book had a lot of advice on understanding and dealing with cerebral palsy, but it also discussed other disabilities and health issues, as well as offering advice on mental health, boosting self-esteem, and much more. If you have cerebral palsy, or love someone who does, you may enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Ilana Estelle, Red Door Books and Random Things Tours for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Ilana Estelle is courageous in opening up and sharing her story with her readers in Cerebral Palsy: A Story. It is a beautifully written book full of her personal story, medical facts and so much more.

This book is dedicated to those trying to find their voice in a world where they have to speak louder, just so they can be heard.

Parts of Ilana’s story hit very close to home for me. I was born with a rare congenital disorder called hemidystrophy. Meaning my left side of my body is smaller and weaker than the right side. I also have a dropped foot like Ilana does.Up until I was 13 I too wore a lift under my shoe like she did. I can empathize with her when she states she was made fun of for wearing it and how she walked. I too got bullied in school for that. Kids can be so cruel at times.

Her Mom really upset me by saying to her that you can’t have a pretty face without a pretty leg! No mother should say that to a child or at any age! You are beautiful Ilana on the inside and out!

My heart went out to her as her father could not cope with her disability.

I loved learning that she put together a website called My CP Diary and now it is a blogger.

Reading that there are nothing many resources out there for those with Cerebral Palsy I am glad that she took it upon herself to write this book. I hope that it will help others in the same situation and give those a better understanding of it.

Ilana provides a lot of great informative medical statistics and information about CP. She also includes helpful websites as well.

One thing I love about Ilana is how positive that she is and how she doesn’t let this define her!

She makes an incredible point in this book. Being around someone who deals with a disability can teach us about ourselves, but we must be prepared to look for understanding. This is so true!

I agree that there needs to be more compassion and empathy towards people with disabilities!

[Tajwar Shakir · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cerebral Palsy A Story Finding Calm after the Storm" by Illana Estelle is a book on the disease of a person's disability to move and maintain balance and posture. The book deals with the life story of the author herself in the form of biography. She discussed her experiences as a disabled person and what sorts of problems she had to face with this disorder since her childhood.

The book is written in a simple language with the introduction to the author's own life story about her illlness. She has discussed the issue in great detail. The reader can easily understand about the disease alongside the mental and physical barriers the patients go through with the disability. I am extremely touched with the morale and courage of Ms Illana as a child who had had no idea about her condition and how well she tried to cope with the situations throughout her childhood with this disability gracefully.

The narration is simple and talks about Illana's mind and hurdles she had to face throughout her education and career as a disabled person. She had even pinpointed the inadequacy of the parent’s knowledge about her disease and of the society as well in providing ease and comfort to her as a special child. Instead, she had to deal with her disorder as a normal human being without being diagnosed properly till her mid 30s. It is heart wrenching to read and imagine the pain of Illana Estelle she had to live her life with.

She stated in the book herself that it is because of her personal sufferings she decided to start a blog and write the book upon the disease along with the detailed understanding of it in the form of 6 chapters. The book contains and talks about the whole process of dealing with the disease both as a patient and as the parents of the affected children. Its a great handbook upon this disease and must be read by the affected individuals.

I would surely rate the book with the 4 stars for its comprehensiveness and the detail upon dealing with it on a personal level. Hats off and thumbs up to Illana Estelle for bearing courageously and bravely with this disease since her childhood period. She has proven it wrong that the disabled people cannot fulfil their life responsibilities. She has been married and has a daughter to bring up with this disability and has been fighting this disease gracefully till date. Am sure she has been the inspiration to all those people suffering from this disorder via her blog and now with her book as well.

A must read for all because we being the normal healthy individuals also often complain about life’s struggles but the people like Illana Estelle are such individuals who have not only conquered their fears but also defeated them by fighting against all odds of the life as a disabled person. They surely deserve appraisal for being the inspiration to everybody in the world by gracefully living the life and even having cause to make it easy and better for the rest of the people around them as well. Thumbs up!

[Abbie Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Cerebral Palsy; A Story; Finding The Calm After The Storm 🌸’ by Ilana Estelle
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𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭?

This is the incredible story of Ilana Estelle.
Born the second of premature twins, an hour apart, from a young age Ilana knew she was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 60s, Ilana experienced first-hand the way that disability was, at the time, so often brushed under the carpet, not spoken about. Her constant physical and mental struggles made her feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood. It took 46 years for her to find out why.

Part memoir, part motivational guide, Cerebral Palsy: My story is Ilana's open and honest journey from an angry, confused child, knowing something was wrong, not knowing what was wrong, what her disability was, or that there was a diagnosis - to the 'real' her - a courageous woman using her experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, resilience and change.
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An open and honest read which is guaranteed to touch your heart! ♥️

A true story of a woman who wasn’t diagnosed with cerebral palsy until her late 40s. She explains how different her childhood was not being able to do things like all the children and being in pain, yet not knowing why. It’s truly heartbreaking to read what she went through. Life is difficult as it is being child, having the frustrations of learning and growing up never mind adding a undiagnosed disability to the mix.

Not only is the book a story into the authors life but also a motivational guide to help others. Help others find a balance in life, with a dive into self discovery.

Ilana is a strong, courageous and inspirational woman. She hasn’t let her tough past define her and I’m in awe of her.

This book was read as part of @instabooktours book tour 📖

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Ilana Estelle writes such a special story in writing Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story' Finding the Calm After the Storm. My heart broke for her as she told of her childhood and growing up years, not knowing what was wrong with her. Of course her school mates and those around her made fun of her as she struggled with this disease that she had no idea about. It is so sad that she has no family support, or support from anyone. But Estelle is a fighter and the amazing story she tells here of her journey to healing is so heartwarming. I was in tears many timds reading this book. Ilana Estelle may have been angry growing up but she now has a loving, tender and caring heart and I pray that many will find help from their struggles with Cerebral Palsy, as well as other issues you may deal with. As she talked about food that would help with arthritis pain, she had my attention because I have been dealing with severe back and joint pain for many years. And I will look into this further to try to calm my pain. If you are dealing with Cerebal Palsy, especially, you need to read this story. And this is a great read for anyone. I enjoy knowing so much knowing more about this disease, and I want to keep on cheering Ilana on because of her strong spirit and for all of her achievements accomplished through the years. This book is certainly a 5 plus Stars.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Mark Carnelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult read for a couple of reasons. A combination of the empathy I felt for the author as well as the clinical nature of the book. The empathy I could do nothing about as I tend towards those feelings when reading true stories of what an author has gone through, and I can easily understand the clinical nature as these are the definitions the medical profession use to describe these serious conditions that can in no way be glossed over or simplified.
The author, knowing that she was somehow different from other children at an early age, and only finding out why at 46yo, has gone through the major portion of her life struggling to understand. Sure she was overwhelmed and confused. But did she give in? Not in the slightest. With a wonderful strength of mind and steely determination she was absolutely resolved not to let her conditions direct how she would live her life.
This is a read not just for those with similar conditions, but for anyone seeking to discover just how much a full positive mindset and a never-say-die attitude can give you the strength to not just manage, but to overcome.
Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ inspirational stars for a read that will make you cry, give you hope, and cheer for the courage of this magnificent woman.

[Hayley (Shelflyfe) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today is my stop on the blogtour for 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗬, 𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬; ꜰɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʟᴍ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴍ by Ilana Estelle. Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Red Door Press for sending me a copy of this book.
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𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱
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I hadn't come across Estelle's work before, or the CP Diary, and so didn't have any expectations going into this book.
I was drawn to it partly because I have a young Nephew with CP and wanted to understand more, but also because I try to be as inclusive as possible, and I believe in order to encourage inclusivity we must make the effort to hear stories of people whose experiences are different to our own.
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𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲. 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵.
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Part memoir/biography, part advice, the book is really useful for anyone who has had to deal with trauma, abuse or any feelings of not fitting in.
Estelle tells her story of growing up knowing something was different about her, but without being diagnosed she was very isolated and understandably angry that she was not getting the support she needed throughout her early life.
However, this is not just a book about disability, or just about Estelle. CP does not define Estelle, nor anyone else who has this diagnosis. It is a part of their lives but does not dictate in any way who they are.
This book will resonate in some way with any reader.
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𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 ... 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 ... 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲' 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘄.
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I try to never make my reviews too much 'about me' as I always want to showcase the author and their book, but this book has helped me immensely.
I myself am an abuse/trauma survivor and I agree with Estelle's sentiment that it does take continuous work to improve life for ourselves. I have been for CBT and other therapies, which have helped improve my life and outlook over the years, but Estelle's commentary is genuinely refreshing and empowering. I think it will encourage lots of people to think about things differently and to gain a new perspective.
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𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺.
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I would encourage everyone to read this book as I genuinely think there is something in it that would benefit everyone. I will be keeping my copy to reread and dip in and out of when I need some inspiration and empowerment.
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𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀.
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Some helpful reminders when encountering anyone with a disability:
- 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱;
- 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀;
- 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.

[Richard Propes · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much to respect about Ilana Estelle's "Cerebral Palsy: A Story: Finding the Calm After the Storm," a mostly autobiographical story about her growing up with a disability that was never really identified until she arrived at the age of 46 and the diagnoses behind her lifelong struggles were revealed and sent her on a journey of exploration to gain understanding of these diagnoses, primarily Cerebral Palsy and Autism, that had significantly impacted her life yet were never formally diagnosed primarily due to societal stigma and parents who fought to claim "normal," whatever that is, for a daughter whose needs were different.

Recently published by RedDoor Publishing, Estelle's story is in many ways an extension of her years-long journey in blogging with "The CP Diary" where she has shared her searching and experiences with remarkable candor and transparency.

"Cerebral Palsy" is a book I respected more than I enjoyed. As an adult with a disability myself, in my case spina bifida, I'm always supportive of diverse voices having their say and it's a lovely thing that Estelle is finding her voice after having been silenced for so long in certain ways.

However, for a book considered a biography/memoir, I felt like I hardly knew Estelle by book's end. The latter 1/3 of the book, for example, is essentially a series of inspirational platitudes and encouragements that only occasionally refer back to Estelle's own life even though it's clear they find their inspiration in her life. Quite honestly, a good majority of these could be found in nearly any inspirational book and they often read like they're ready for a blog rather than appropriate for a book. This is especially true because of the occasionally difficult to follow formatting offered by the e-book.

At nearly 300 pages, the book left more questions than answers:

While I understood that Estelle's parents hid, or denied, her diagnosis I was never clear how that translated to not finding out these basic truths until the age of 46 after work, after marriage, and after becoming a parent (which is actually quite difficult for many with cerebral palsy). Once one becomes an adult, the responsibility for such a revelation falls on oneself - why did it take so long?

I learned only basic things about how cerebral palsy impacts Estelle's life directly, for example with her educational challenges. Recognizing that there's a broad spectrum of cerebral palsy that can include spastic quadriplegia and significant communication challenges, I was never able to clearly identify where Estelle is on that spectrum? She went to school. She's worked. She's married. She has kids. Of course, anyone with a disability can do these things but these are important discussions that are barely touched in the book. Estelle barely mentions her adult life - marriage, parenting, etc.

I guess I felt like I wanted to know this woman whose journey is really quite compelling, but in this "memoir" I never really got the chance to know her. Is there an assumption that those reading the book will have followed the blog?

I was intrigued by the idea that finding out anything about cerebral palsy was difficult. Was this early on? It seems like awareness of cerebral palsy is quite common these days. I recognize I'm from the U.S. and I realize science is always changing, but considering the timeline given it just seems like another piece that is not well explained. I am, as well, a child of the 60's and I get the difficulties - I was in the first mainstreaming class here in the U.S. and had I been born even five years earlier likely would have been institutionalized had I survived. They still can't explain why I've survived this long. While I get a sense of that journey here, it gets lost in the repetitiveness of "Imagine not knowing you have a disability." The truth is that Estelle knew she had one - it just wasn't identified.

While it may seem like I'm being harsh on the book, and a 3-star rating is still a thumbs up from me, the truth is that's mostly borne out of frustration because despite the fact I see this book as having value it could have been an even greater work. It's an interesting choice to say you don't want to be defined by cerebral palsy, then to make that the title of your autobiography.

I'm just saying.

As a person with a lifelong disability, and yes I've had the benefit of having a name for it my entire life, in many ways "Cerebral Palsy" isn't for me. I know my journey and I share it openly. I didn't really need the inspiration provided here. I wanted a more complete story of how Estelle lived with cerebral palsy before she knew what it was and how cerebral palsy and autism have shaped her life throughout her journey. I get that in bits and pieces, but there's simply so much missing.

On the flip side, "Cerebral Palsy" will inspire people early in their journeys with physical challenges and parents, carers/caregivers, helping professionals, and others. "Cerebral Palsy" serves as a powerful reminder of the need to remove the stigma of disability and to not project limitation. Estelle offers a wide variety of resources here and the encouragement to use them. Estelle writes with honesty and openness and seems like a rather wonderful human being. She's the kind of person you'd love to sit down with for a cup of coffee (or should I say tea since she's in the U.K.?).

I liked "Cerebral Palsy." I have a feeling I'd like it more in print because I found the e-formatting difficult to follow (part of my cognitive challenges). However, as we're both children of the 60's there's a common thread here that I identified with and really appreciated Estelle's willingness to share the challenges, stigma, and difficulties in living in a society that still stigmatizes differences in ways that are so often discreet that they're truly systemic.

I really wanted to love this book as much as I loved Ilana Estelle for writing it. Occasionally frustrating and occasionally inspiring, "Cerebral Palsy" is ultimately a story to celebrate about a life well lived in a world that wasn't always accessible to her.

[Aysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was absolutely brilliant in describing what life is like with cerebral palsy. it was such a genuine account and so wonderfully written.

the short chapters made it easy to process the different information and gain a good understanding of the author’s condition and opinions.

i also loved the extracts on the author’s childhood, and the conversation it opened about insecurities and dealing with those around you. INCREDIBLE. highly recommend.

i said i want to read on topics i don’t know a lot about this year and this was such a good choice to start with!!

[Emma B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoir and self help book

Ilana Estelle found out that she has Cerebral Palsy when she was 46. At 56 autism was also diagnosed. This is Ilana’s story of her experiences of coping and managing in a world where she felt different to those around her.

Ilana’s memoir is packed full of interesting self-help suggestions (that everyone will be able to relate to) particularly focusing on what Ilana found helped her – so practical and realistic. Ideas vary from parenting skills, depression, coping with challenges, and so much more. All focussed on improving everyday life and relevant to everyone.

Chapters and sections are well labelled, and the writing style is easy to read and very much to the point – no wading through pages of waffle to get one nugget of useful info.

For me this was a book to read in small chunks, there is so much good information and useful ideas, that taking time to read, and try out some of the suggestions, before moving onto the next section is worthwhile. I also recommend reading it with a marker pen to hand, or something, to enable easy referring back later.

In summary, a book packed full of simple ideas that make you think “oh, I’ll try that” which could result in really positive changes. Interesting insights into Ilana’s life story, as well as a great self-help book.

Ilana Estelle has a blog at https://www.thecpdiary.com/

[Novelle Novels · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars
Ilana is born the second of premature twins, different but no proper diagnosis. This is part memoir and part motivational guide. I really liked how honest the author is and how she hasn’t sugar coated her journey. She is so strong and that is so inspirational. Right now especially I found so much of this book helpful and one I will return to for lessons on parenthood and mental health especially. So many people view disabilities with pity or judgemental but this shows us all the best ways to support each other.

[Mayleen Cadiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilana’s book is an extension of her blog - The CP Diary which chronicles her life as a Cerebral Palsy patient. It has also become a community for people who are also diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Her blog is more expansive as it dates back to 2010.

However, her book is an intimate look at a woman’s life with Cerebral Palsy. This book makes me confront my own view and perception on how to deal with people who have medical conditions that outwardly affect their appearance and their cognitive, emotional, and social struggles.
In this book, it gave Cerebral Palsy a name, a face, and a life. It tells me that Ilana is more than a checklist of symptoms. She is human, just like you and I, she also feels pain – both physical and emotional, depression, anger, love, and the most important of all, hope.

The physical symptoms of cerebral palsy are made real because it is being experienced by someone who lives and breathes. The book makes me aware that people experience these difficult physical symptoms. The symptoms are no longer just a checklist to confirm a diagnosis – but a painful reality that some people live with every day.

I usually look away from people with Cerebral Palsy not because I’m unkind, but I feel pain for them. I also feel pity. It’s difficult for me to see how they live with their disability. 20 years ago, during my internship at a special school, I assisted in the therapy of a child with cerebral palsy. Although I was physically present at the child’s session, my mind was elsewhere because I didn’t want to see or feel the child’s difficulties. After my internship, I tried to erase all the memories of that child so I wouldn’t experience profound sadness.

This book makes me realize that patients don’t need pity. What they need is understanding and a support system that can make them function in their pace without making them feel like burdens. We have to understand that people diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy may be a bit slower in their thought processes, so we must not hurry them or get impatient. If they ask for our help, we should extend our hand not because we don’t want them to go on their way, but we want to show them that this world is not full of insensitive people.

Ilana’s childhood was marred with difficulties in physical and emotional milestones as her illness made the usual things impossible for her to do. She was even misdiagnosed at first with spastic monoparesis in her childhood. Reading this story makes me confront my emotions – it forces me to feel the pain and sadness and hope for Ilana.

Despite the anger and frustration, Ilana is hopeful. The hope comes from not knowing what might happen. To some, this might scary, but the unknown makes her think that there was something else left to be uncovered.

The physical disability also takes a toll on Ilana. We tend to forget that aside from the physical pain that these patients experience, they also have to cope with the stress, anxiety, and depression caused by the disability. It’s an eye-opener that we cannot just dismiss their feelings – expecting them to be hopeful day in and day out is something that we shouldn’t demand from them because we never really know what they go through.

This book also highlights the importance of intuition and listening to your needs and putting them first. The more she became aware of her limitations, the more she used those to her advantage to succeed in her career and education.

It gives hope to the readers that your weakness can be your guide to know what you can do best. Her diary, allowed her to put her feelings and thoughts into context. Despite her diagnosis of cerebral palsy at the age of 46, and autism at 56, Ilana has survived the struggles with grace.
This book tells us that we are not victims of circumstances, but we have a choice on how we live. I’m diagnosed with Bipolar Mood Disorder. Although our conditions are completely different. We share emotional struggles like depression. I have mood swings that are hard to control without therapy. It is sometimes challenging to see the positive side of life when things so south for me.
Ilana could have become bitter and chose to blame everyone in her life, but she consciously chooses to be realistic and hopeful about her condition. She still chooses to achieve greater goals in life. She refuses to resign to her fate. She teaches us that there are things that we all cannot and can control. We can work with those things that we can control.

In the process, we can inspire to change the system the worked against us so other people can live a better life. This book empowers people with disabilities and illness – we are more than our diagnosis. Ilana refused to be defined by her Cerebral Palsy alone. That is inspiring.
Ilana also offers sound advice – “Other disabled people can concentrate on things their disability doesn’t prevent them from doing well and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.” These words are powerful, inspiring, and most importantly – doable.
The description of how the brain works is very easy to understand. There are no complicated scientific terms. The parts of the brain’s structures are easy to understand, thus it’s easy for the reader to comprehend the difficulties of a person living with cerebral palsy.

Her letter to Cerebral Palsy is full of acceptance, but she refuses to resign to her fate. Instead, in the letter, Ilana addressed Cerebral Palsy as a companion that she learned to work with as she live her life with grace.

Ilana also highlights the importance of mental health. The body and the mind are interlinked intimately that it can never be broken. Cerebral Palsy’s physical symptoms can take a toll on the mind. We should never dismiss anyone’s emotional pain – especially those who are suffering from a disability. Ilana describes that it’s OK to sometimes feel down and even angry at what she was dealt with, but the most important thing is to rise back up.

The message of hope in this book is rooted in reality. It doesn’t portray the false sweet promises of positivity. It’s anchored on real human experiences of someone who is physically disabled – that some days are difficult to deal with. That sometimes, the disability can overwhelm everyone.
She also acknowledges that with her condition, the complications will get worse as the brain continues to deteriorate. The knowledge of that fact is frightening. But instead of giving up, she chooses to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Some people experience more difficulties with disabilities because their own family members, to a certain degree resent them. Ilana states that if we want society’s perception and treatment with people with disabilities to change, it must start with the home. Family members should be the first ones to show kindness and compassion, and the rest will follow.

Her argument that disability should be considered normal to achieve inclusivity may raise some eyebrows. How can someone who is different from the rest of the population be considered normal? They are two separate concepts – but when you think about it, inclusivity means accepting that everyone who is differently-abled can also contribute something positive to society.
Ilana wrote that we as a society, still view them with pity. That we are still awkward around them, though it’s a normal human reaction. Ilana offers a helpful guide on how we should treat family members with disabilities. The book uses actionable terms in place of an abstract concept. She explains compassion is asking what the individual needs. She explains acceptance is engaging with engaging conversation.

This book is not your typical self-help or inspirational book. It offers more than positive thinking that other writers peddle as life-changing. Ilana struggles and triumphs are raw because she doesn’t try to portray herself as someone who has overcome every challenge in one fell swoop. She is able to balance her emotional experiences, without the dramatic flair. The book is effective in its portrayal of her struggles and successes because they are rooted in her truth.

She still lives with her medical reality though it is filled with trips to doctors, countless tests, physical and emotional struggles, and her emotional struggles. Despite all the stacks being against her, she doesn’t lose hope and inspires people who are differently-abled to embrace their condition with grace.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful to Ilana’s for sharing her story in Cerebral Palsy A Story. This book is a must read for anyone struggling with personal life challenges. Ilana shares personal anecdotes that shine a light on a variety of important topics including mental, physical and spiritual health. This book resonated with me on a deep level and while I do not have Cerebral Palsy, we can all relate to the challenges she takes on with a mature and retrospective lens.

[Shalla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This part memoir, part motivational guide has been so inspiring to read. Reading about how Ilana never gave up on finding out about herself, why she was different and why she found things difficult, truly moved me. I have a physical disability so there were lots of times during the book where I felt myself relating to how Ilana felt and what she was going through. However, Ilana didn't find out that she had cerebral palsy till she was in her forties and no diagnosis of autism till she was in her fifties. So she struggled through her life without the support she needed.

I feel like this book came into my life at just the right time. I've been going through a challenging time recently and I have come to realise that the only way I will be able to cope and work through this, is if I make some changes to my overthinking brain and negative mindset.

'Through growth we allow ourselves to move on, into a much better headspace.'

The advice on dealing with stress was interesting to learn and helpful.
'Be honest with yourself about what you are finding stressful, even if someone else might see it as trivial.' 

The book talked about how important self acceptance is and it has taught me that once you start to learn about yourself and become accepting of it, that is when you begin to grow. This is something I am working on at the moment so it was really helpful.

After reading that Illana's disability in fact has shaped her and taught her to be empathetic, patient, compassionate and the importance of being kind. I believe my disability and being different has definitely contributed to me being an empathetic, kind and patient person. I very often forget to remind myself of these positive qualities I have because my negative mindset had me believing I had nothing to offer myself or the world around me.

I totally agree with Ilana when she talked about life being simpler when she was a child, more than it is today. I feel grateful for my life back then. I'm not sure I would have coped  being a child with a disability that makes my appearance different from my peers at school, in today's society.

I've learnt so much from this one book that I will definitely be referring to it for reminders from time to time. It's important to consciously live life in the present moment so you notice these repeated patterns of behaviour and change them.

I want to thank the author Ilana for having the courage to write so openly and honestly about her struggles and experiences throughout her life. Ilana's positive attitude shines through her writing and I felt that and it brought me comfort. That might be why I actually hugged this booked when I finished reading it. 🤗

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has ever faced challenges in their life or wants to create a more positive outlook.

I was gifted this book as part of a book tour for an honest review.

[Claire Swain · Rating 4 out of 5]

😽😻📚Claire Bear & Mel Mel's Book Reviews 📚😻😽 'Cerebral Palsy - A Story' by Ilana Estelle.
Thank you to Love Book Tours & to Ilana for providing me a copy of the novel.
Genre: Memoir/Self Help.

About the Book: Ilana writes a brilliant blog called the 'CP Diary'. Via the blog, Ilana has reflected upon her own experiences. Including her difficult childhood, obtaining a diagnosis as an adult and how she has achieved her ambitions against the odds. The 'CP diary' has inspired Ilana to write this novel.

My Review: The author explores how being undiagnosed in her childhood and how having a lack of support caused severe problems throughout her life. She explains how a lack of understanding and educational support caused significant problems in her development. You can also feel the loneliness that the author has experienced throughout her life due to her disability. Being left out from activities and being expected to keep up with able bodied siblings.

The author was not able to get a diagnosis until her 40s. She explains the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy and the shocking statistics. She shares her unique and Positive perspective on disability. I enjoyed the sections about how we as a society need to change our attitude and compassion towards disability. With the thought provoking point of how it needs to start from home.
I love the paragraph on how a cat called pumpkin changed her life and how pumpkin helped the author cope through her mum's terminal illness. "cats can teach us so much about life"
The author shares many life tips from her own experiences Including basic health tips yet please bear in mind this will differ between disability and conditions. Such as the 'caffeine section' there is huge debate on this.

There is a lot of repetition. The same information and the same sentences in numerous sections. I feel a good editor would have supported the author with this. I can only imagine what the author went through as a child and it is truly evident how much it affects her as this book is very heavy on poor parenting.
Having a disability myself I do not agree with everything the author suggests such as on the topic of 'Stress & Emotional Distress'. Yet, I appreciate this is most likely due to our different experience.

Triggers - Childhood Neglect & Childhood Bullying.

A thought provoking and insightful book. Congratulations to the author on your Novel.

Disclaimer: My Book Reviews are based on my own opinions and experiences only.

If you would like to see more of my Book Reviews please visit - www.goodreads.com/clairebearmelmel
Or clairebearmelmel on Instagram

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
Cerebral Palsy a story : finding the calm after the storm.
🌟 🌟🌟 /5

I HATE giving low star reviews and especially when it's someone's courageous story so I don't make this decision lightly and I've rounded it up because the author truly is an amazing woman who has overcome so much. Ilanas blog The CP Diary truly IS inspirational and motivational!

(Personal thoughts follow blurb)
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Blurb
Living with cerebral palsy is enormously difficult. But what if you never knew you had it? This is the incredible story of Ilana Estelle.
Born the second of premature twins, from a young age Ilana knew she was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 60s, Ilana experienced first-hand the way that disability was so often brushed under the carpet and not spoken about. Her constant physical and mental struggles made her feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood… it took 46 years for her to find out why.
Part memoir, part motivational guide, Cerebral Palsy: A Story is Ilana’s open and honest journey from an angry, confused child, knowing something was wrong, but not knowing what, to the ‘real’ her – a courageous woman using her experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, positivity, resilience and change.
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Personal review
Oh, I wish I had loved this book as much as I thought I would 😕 I felt less like I was reading a story and and more like I was reading several years of blog posts just copied and pasted one after another with no real order or context.....there wasn't any continuous story threaded throughout as you would expect from autobiographys and ultimately it just felt a bit disconnected .

The real highlights showing how Ilana had overcome her challenges and had clearly thrived despite her setbacks were not explored enough, rather it fel like it was just the same 4 paragraphs repeated throughout randomly overshadowed by motivational and practical advice.

I received a digital copy and perhaps it gelled better in the paperback format but it didn't quite work on Kindle not as a cover to cover story anyway.

Perhaps it is best picked up from time to time and read section by section instead of as a book. Ilana is a courageous woman who has thrived and is a great advocate for disability, especially those born in times where disabilities really were hidden from the community, from one another and more unfairly from the people who had them!
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Thank you to lovebookstours for a gifted copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Susan Corcoran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit to having mixed feelings about this book, but that overall I found it to be a well written account of a journey to enlightenment and from that, to acceptance of the writers uniqueness.

What I thought I was going to get is more of an autobiography, but that was a secondary part of this unique publication and it’s main message, which it handled well, helping others to find balance in life, though self discovery and motivational learning. Though I found some of the her thoughts around spirituality a little jarring, her advice around a wide range of issues such as why you should remain upbeat, the connection between physical health and mental health were inspiring and left me in both a reflective mood and gaining a greater understanding of why I should choose positivity over negativity.

She grew up never understanding why she struggled with school and why learning was difficult for her as a child and it wasn’t until she was forty-six that she learned why! Her disability was never talked about, growing up in the sixties, it was hidden and this left her isolated and often angry. Finding out in later life she had Cerebral Palsy led her to build a life based on an honesty and knowledge. From this she set up a blog, charting how she changed her life and outlook.

The strongest part of this book, is the call to arms that disability should not be hidden, that the uniqueness of each disabled person be celebrated and they be given access to a life without limits. Ilana’s voice is at its most powerful when it is advocating for everyone of every disability to be given the right to equality, that one of societies greatest shames is how often, we still prefer not to be confronted by what makes us feel uncomfortable.

She choose to know longer be hidden and worked to find a better acceptance of herself. She blogged about her life and experiences, health and well-being and her book Cerebral Palsy follows a similar style, short snappy sections that deal with a wide range of self help techniques and how they shaped her life.

It is easy to dip in and out of and could act as a good reference when you find yourself struggling and in need of a reminder of Finding Calm After The Storm and how changes in lifestyle and belief system can help us all find our calm place.

[Kameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.


Cerebral Palsy: A Story: Finding the Calm After the Storm informed me about 11 secondary conditions connected to CP (cerebral palsy). The memoir also gave me facts that escaped me until now. For example, 800,000 individuals have CP, and 10,000 people are born with it each year. Ilana Estelle also explained how the brain is affected in those with cerebral palsy. There are physical limitations. People also face emotional and mental roadblocks.

She went in-depth on how emotional stress can affect a CP’s immunity. A positive attitude, surrounding yourself with positive people is vital for a CP person’s overall health. Ilana Estelle gave examples of how to achieve a happy mind, cope with stress, and live a healthier life.


There were many sections in Cerebral Palsy: A Story: Finding the Calm that could apply to those not living with CP: foods to maintain good high blood pressure, foods that alleviate arthritis pain, and parenting tips. At times, these areas seemed to deter away from the topic at hand—cerebral palsy. While I appreciate the extra health tips and her parenting advice, I wanted more about her journey in life with CP.


Ilana Estelle discussed the misdiagnosis at the age of 2 (2.5). She spoke of the lack of family support (often) and felt guilty and depressed about failing in life. She also emphasized what she learned in the process.

*know your limitations
*ask for help
*gain knowledge about your condition


To parents, she stressed having a sit-down and make sure all siblings are aware that people with CP need patience, understanding, compassion, and assistance.


While Ilana Estelle has struggled in life and will as she continues her journey in this world, I’m pleased to see she’s not bitter or angry over what’s occurred in the past. She’s working hard to achieve a happy mind. Peaceful soul.

You can’t change the past, but your actions today can pave the road for a better tomorrow.


(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)

[Angela Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Shares Her Challenging Story. The author writes much of this book as a memoir to share her experiences with an adult diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. Having said that, she turns more of the book into an inspirational guide that has moved her journey toward healing and emotional recovery from the long-term impacts of the masking and hiding of her disabilities during her early years. Readers will find a touching story as the author shares reflections on her anger, confusion, depression, feelings of failure, and loss, along with her efforts to find the positives and motivations from various sources to direct her future better.



Ilana's Story is Not Just for Cerebral Palsy Patients and Families. Readers will find much advice, guidance, and inspiration in following the author from a very challenged child to an adult finding her path to success. Of course, the author's story could have been different had she had early support in treating her disabilities rather than ignoring and hiding them. Learning to adapt and summoning inspiration and inner strength led the author to and through her childhood and adulthood. She reached a point that allowed her to share her journey with others. Whether facing Cerebral Palsy, Autism, or other health or life conditions, many of us will be inspired and encouraged by Ilana's story.


Would I Recommend Cerebral Palsy A Story Finding the Calm After the Storm by Ilana Estelle? I enjoy memoirs--especially those chronicling the life of one facing and overcoming challenges and setbacks. I didn't find this book as personal as some memoirs in that the author spoke of pieces of her past and present, but she didn't tell the whole story. Instead, she seemed to focus more on moving forward and finding her "calm" path to the future. Readers may not find many new motivational or inspirational ideas offered--but will learn ways she was able to apply such ideas to her own life and story. I would recommend reading this book to learn Ilana's story and follow it with Spirituality, Healing and Me for more insights and self-help inspiration.

I received a copy of this book from the author or publisher for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.

[Lost_in_her_bookland · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐲 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 by ⁣@the_cpdiary
Kindly gifted to me by @reddoorbooks
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This is my second non fiction read in a row, and while fiction is far more to my liking I did enjoy this and give it ⭐⭐⭐/5 ⁣
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"𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘵? 𝘐𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘺"⁣
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I have to say somewhat honestly, I was disappointed. This is because I has hoped for more of Ilana's story and I felt what was given was repetitive. It would have been nice to have been given the material to imagine Ilana's life and her struggles. However the motivational chapters she wrote were beautifully put together, and I can imagine for a parent or indeed the person themselves approaching Cebreal Palsy this could become their bible.⁣
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I work in stroke care in the community, and a lot of the information Illana shares, connects closely with Stroke recovery, and I'm grateful for the knowledge I gained. ⁣
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"I live with cerbral palsy but I choose not to be defined by it •stress will always be present in our lives but we can control the amount we let in • many people die at twenty five and arent buried until they are seventy five"⁣
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I am now going to gift this onto someone I know who is living with Cerebral Palsy ♥️ #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #photosofbooks #bookpost #bookworm #bookaddict #booklovers #bookish #ukbookworm #ilovereading #booksbooksbooks #booklove #sharethebooklove #paperback #gifted #giftedbook #booksforreview #bookreviewer #bookreview #Cerebralpalsy #autism #thecpdiary #motivational #inspirational #nonfiction #bookblogger #mumswhoread #memoir

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a one-of-a-kind retelling of her own life story, while also providing support to people with disabilities, Ilana Estelle presents a book that’s part personal, part educational, and inspirational all the way. Cerebral Palsy is about the author’s journey with CP that went undiagnosed until she was forty-six years old, and an autism diagnosis that was confirmed in her fifties. Unsupportive parents, indifferent siblings, inattentive teachers led Ilana to question her own capabilities, and filled her days with doubt and low confidence.

Through her own experiences of being misunderstood and dismissed, Ilana talks about physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. The book covers a range of topics from neurodiversity to pediatrics, nutrition and exercise, familial and societal relationships. Inclusivity is not about sympathy or brushing sensitive topics under the carpet, but understanding a condition, and thereby understanding a person. The book works as a motivational guide for every kind of reader – in fighting obstacles, being resilient, knowing when to accept our limitations, understanding our weaknesses, and working on our strengths.

Some parts are hard-hitting – like the absence of parental support in childhood, being estranged from siblings who don’t care about one’s condition, or family being embarrassed about a member’s disability. But Ilana brings hope even in light of negativity, as she uses her memories of what her parents did and didn’t do, as a learning tool for raising her own daughter. We can choose to be caught in a web of conflict, or we can choose to break the cycle and be the change we want to see in the world.

https://tomesandtales365.wordpress.co...

[Bee Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilana Estelle didn't know she had Cerebral Palsy until she was forty-six years old despite all the signs being there when she was a child. As the second born of a pair of premature twins, she also felt somewhat different from the other children her age, even her twin, but could never fully explain why.

In this stunning debut novel, she not only tells her story but enlightens the reader on what it's really like to live with Cerebral Palsy and teach insightful lessons about the resilience of human nature, about body positivity and health awareness.

Part memoir, part informative guide, part motivational story - this unique and striking novel reads in a warm, friendly and familiar voice while still giving us the facts and the truth about a very common health issue that the general public know shockingly little about. Of course every single person is different, and the way any health conditions affect a single person is unique, so by reading just one book a reader can't understand the full scope but Ilana tries to be as inclusive as possible in her writing, both in content and in her easy to follow style.

We feel anger at the discrimination people with CP and other health conditions face, sadness at the treatment and difficulties they live with, frustration at their lack of choices but also hope as Ilanas' positivity shines through each and every page.

Whether you're just looking to learn, or you've been affected by Cerebral Palsy yourself, this will give you a beautiful starting point on your way to understanding.

"I live with Cerebral Palsy but I choose not to be defined by it."

[Nicola Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a memoir this was well written, knowledgable, beautifully written and inspirational. I was so shocked to learn about Llana, everything she had to deal with growing up, for waiting until she was well into adulthood to understand what was wrong with her.

I adored the built in messages of this to inspire others to be brave with their physical and mental health. I’ve never really understood fully what cerebral palsy is so do read this and it gives me the knowledge of things I was unaware of I really appreciate. Not every chronic illness can be seen, not everyone knows how to identify someone who may have a chronic illness. This book has taught me to be kind constantly to everyone you ever meet because you might not know what’s going on to them underneath the surface.

For me Llana is the bravest woman I’ve read about in such a long time. It’s really interesting to take a step back and understand how far our health service has come over the last 50 years. How mental health has been tackled over the last 10/20 years. I felt so many emotions reading this, so get the tissues ready. But they were hears of happiness as-well as sadness.

Every single chapter throughout has a way of helping you and giving you the comfort and support in your everyday life if you are living with a chronic condition or not. Every chapter makes you reflect back and take a minute to realise where you are as a person now. I loved so much the spirituality side of this too.

This is definitely a must read, I’ve enjoyed so many memoirs this year and this one has definitely made my top 3 by far. Thankyou for sharing your story Llana.

[Sam | Sambooka23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I jumped at the opportunity to be a reviewer for this book as I have read @ilana_estelle_author previous book Spirituality, Healing and Me and found it so refreshing, relatable in aspects so when I saw she was on tour with the amazing @instabooktours, I jumped and prayed I’d get it.

Ilana has such a powerful way with words, she touched my heart with open and honest read. I don’t personally know anyone with Cerebral Palsy however, I’ve read about people and seen people on TV speaking out about it.

I think as a child it would be very confusing wondering why you can’t do things other kids are doing; why you are different and not getting to the bottom of it - I can’t imagine what Ilana went through as a child but I know from reading her books, it’s made her one strong woman today.

This is absolutely inspiring, Ilana is inspiring! This book touched my heart in more ways than one, she is so positive (although had her moments throughout the book, but can you blame her?!), she’s strong.

After the ups and downs she’s had throughout life, her last paragraph in the book made me cry… if I had the strength she had… I mean, I just applaud her, she is magnificent.

This touched me so much, my heart broke, I smiled when she had a breakthrough and felt strong and then cried when something knocked her down. My emotions were all over the place but moral of my review, this book is phenomenal. I am so, so lucky to have been put on this tour, read this book and had the chance to - again - be in Ilana’s world for a little while.

@ilana_estelle_author you done an amazing job with this. I can imagine it was cathartic for you to purge your feelings and write them down, hard but cathartic. Thank you for sending me your book, I will forever cherish it. And to @instabooktours , Vic, what a fantastic tour (even though I’m the first review, lol) you’ve outdone yourself again.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is largely an autobiographical story about the author's life growing up with a disability, one that wasn’t properly diagnosed until much later in her life.
Back when this lady was growing up there was a stigma around mental health and disability, anything that wasn’t ‘normal’ was often kept behind closed doors and hidden away.

I actually know someone who was in a very similar situation, only the condition was epilepsy - some would even believe that this was a form of devil possession rather than a medical condition, but I digress, let’s get back to the book!

We learn all about the author's struggles, peoples reactions and how her family dealt with things. It was all very interesting, I was a little surprised that there was no solid diagnosis until the age 46, I couldn’t quite work out how that was.

There was a lot of information but none of it really went into any detail, the author, to me, is still just a name on a page and that name belongs to someone who has a disability. I wanted to know more about her, her likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, I wanted to get to know the person behind the disability, unfortunately this book didn’t deliver on that point.

There is a good bit of advice and guidance throughout which I liked and the story the author had to tell was touching and inspiring, definitely one worth reading!

A solid 4 Star read!

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by Love Books Tours, views and opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚Book Review📚

Cerebral Palsy: A Story ‘Finding the Calm After the Storm’
Ilana Estelle

🌟🌟🌟✴️✴️


I was really looking forward to reading this one for a few reasons.
Firstly - I had no idea what cerebral palsy involved and was really keen to learn more about the condition - what it means for those with it and how it presents.
Secondly - having a son with a long term condition, I thought that I'd find some support in reading a story from an adult perspective, someone who has and still is living with difficulties.

I have so much empathy for the author who has lived through her whole childhood and formative years struggling without support from both her parents and medical professionals and not having any idea what was wrong with her. The emotional and mental damage caused is very clearly conveyed throughout the book.
I also admire what Ilana has achieved over the last few years. Fighting to find out what was wrong with her, starting her CP diary and writing this book - bringing the condition and her struggles into the limelight, both educating and supporting others.

I found the writing style easy to read but felt that I was reading a blog rather than a story. It was also quite repetitive when reading it cover to cover.
I think that it would be a perfect companion to keep dipping into and reading (even out of order) bit by bit when needing some insight or support.

Overall this book was inspiring, motivational and informative. Huge respect to Ilana for everything she's overcome and achieved so far.

[Boszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

What made this book interesting is the life story of Ilana Estelle.

Her life story shows a truly disturbing lack of support from all fronts (family, doctors, school, university). Throughout the book we learn that she has to cope with a range of disabilities, illnesses, and other factors, like neurodivergence (mild hemiparesis cerebral palsy - a result of brain damage at birth; autism; depression and anxiety; sleep issues; sensory processing disorder; mild scoliosis).
What makes all of these even more hard to deal with is the severe emotional neglect (lack of emotional and mental support in her family), as well as the emotional abuse (being made to feel like she was lazy and inadequate, while keeping it hidden that she has a disability and that her condition will likely not improve despite her efforts; not having control over decisions regarding her own life).

The book does not dwell on this topic, but the family she grew up in, and the general lack of understanding about her condition, probably made it almost impossible for her to have a good relationship with her siblings.

Despite all this, she managed to become successful at her work and she became a writer. Importantly, she also fought against the consequences of the neglect and abuse she experienced (e.g. working on not being a people pleaser; dealing with the anger that comes from not being understood and cared for properly).

I wish this book had more stories (i.e. episodes, personal experiences from her life, as the title suggests), and less motivational / self-help chapters (i.e. advice).