Disability Biography

At the age of thirty-one, Dave Kelly lost his eyesight to a rare disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Up until then, he had lived a life like any other young man, albeit one blessed to be growing up in Liverpool during the heyday of The Beatles and Liverpool FCs win against Leeds in the 1965 FA Cup. But then, one day everything changed. Dave was faced with a choice. He could either let blindness defeat him or he could face it head-on and live as fulfilling a life as he possibly could.

Our aim with this narrative is to share our journey through the labyrinth of cancer treatment—the decisions we faced, the paths we chose, and, most importantly, the lessons we learned. We hope to offer guidance, support, and perhaps a sense of solidarity to others who find themselves on a similar journey. This is not your typical medical guide; it is a well-researched companion for every aspect of your cancer journey and a deeply personal account of battling cancer from the perspective of a spouse.

Martin Hibbert was left paralysed from the waist down by the Manchester Arena bombing which killed twenty-two people on 22 May 2017. Martin’s teenage daughter Eve was one of the 940 injured, in Eve’s case, gravely. The dad from Bolton has since become a leading campaigner both for victims of the atrocity and those with spinal cord injuries. Determined to make a difference he took on the ultimate challenge, scaling Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair, becoming the second paraplegic to do so, and raising a million pounds for charity.

Always With Me is a true story about the life of Moses Macias as he grew up in and out of the hospital for twenty-one years. He was born with spina bifida and cleft lip. As a result, he would have to endure dozens of surgeries as he would fight for his life growing up. Always With Me also details other struggles of growing up disabled such as bullying, depression, suicide, medical abuse, sexual abuse, and pain of receiving medical treatment throughout his life. Despite all the trauma he endures in life, he finds his faith in God.

How a mechanic rose above poverty and chronic anxiety to build a national enterprise and found peace with himself and his past in the process. Prepare to embark on a journey of emotions. This must-listen memoir explores the resilience of the human spirit. I literally could not stop reading From Turmoil to Triumph.

I wanted to write a book to uplift mentally ill people of the harshest variety, schizophrenic or schizoaffective like I have. I wanted to tell the story of my own life, like some people see me. I am not a pitiable sad case. I am a hero who’s gone on adventures. Sometimes I was unstable, but that is not the purpose of my story.

Follow the journey of Tanita Allen, a courageous Black woman confronting the challenges of Huntington's Disease. We Exist documents her harrowing two-year struggle for a diagnosis while living in a toxic NYC apartment that triggered the early onset of her condition. Learn how she wages an impossible, decade-long legal battle against those responsible, unveiling the staggering barriers faced by marginalized communities in both medical and legal systems.

My name is Christopher Miller, the view I happen to have is a view from a wheelchair. I live with spastic cerebral palsy which affects my mobility and speech. I believe that people with disabilities need to be involved in the political process. I just happen to have A View From a Seat.

My name is Joseph A. Peragine. I am a paranoid schizophrenic. On October 22, 2000, I tried to kill myself in a severely hallucinogenic state due to undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia. I was suffering from this illness for many years leading up to that day. Every October since I started my recovery in 2000, I reflect on my life and am extremely thankful that I was fortunate enough to have been given a second chance.

Theirs was an unlikely life together. Sheila gave birth to Josephine on 11th May 1993 and for twenty-three years they co-existed in a loving mother-daughter relationship, but one with a difference. Josephine suffered catastrophic brain injury at birth, never spoke to Sheila, rarely smiled and was barely able to see the faces of the people who loved her.

An Unexpected Story of Hope & Perserverance: As a young child, something was wrong with Michael. He lacked basic motor skills and was unable to follow simple instructions or answer questions. Testing revealed a diagnosis of autism with a low IQ. Experts insisted that leading an independent life would be impossible for him...and school was not an option.

When Emmett de Monterey is eighteen months old, a doctor diagnoses him with cerebral palsy. Words too big for his 25-year-old artist parents and their happy, smiling baby. Growing up in South East London in the 1980s, Emmett is spat at on the street and prayed over at church. At his school for disabled children, he's told he will be expelled if the rumours are true, if he's gay; at his mainstream school, teachers refuse to schedule his classes on the ground floor, and he loses a stone from the effort of getting up the stairs.

Told through an experimental mix of intimate anecdotes and interactive visuals, this book immerses listeners in Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker James Robinson's point of view, allowing them to see the world through his disabling eye conditions.

I am not trying to be a role model, just a possibility. There are obstacles, and people may not always treat you properly, but there is progress. My story is one of many that doesn't choose death over paralysis. It's just a story that doesn't get told often enough.

A touching and deeply personal memoir, Our Brother Jim recounts the author’s experience growing up with a brother with disabilities. Through his parents’ constant care and his family’s loving encouragement, Jim exceeded every doctor’s expectations, learning to do those “everyday” things that proved so difficult for him—like walking, counting, and communicating with others. With a radiant smile and a delightful sense of humor, Jim left a beautiful mark on the world around him. This book is to remember him.

" On ne saura jamais quel aurait été mon destin sans cette maladie – une méningite bactérienne foudroyante à l’âge de six ans –, mais je n’aurais sans doute pas vécu le quart de ce que j’ai eu la chance de vivre jusqu’à présent. Je suis Théo Curin, vingt-deux ans, amputé des quatre membres, bien dans ma tête, bien dans ma peau. Quand on me demande comment je réagirais si on me rendait bras et jambes, je réponds : “Non, merci, je ne saurais qu’en faire !” J’ai des choses à dire et le sentiment d’être écouté, que demander de plus ? "

O sonho de Juli era ser mãe e ela o realizou–e segue realizando diariamente–porém, ela não esperava os desafios que a maternidade atípica lhe reservava. O diagnóstico de Rafael veio no ano de 2015 e, de lá para cá, o hobby de Juli em escrever e influenciar pessoas teve uma mudança drástica: compartilhar tudo aquilo que estava reaprendendo com seu filho e sua família, fazendo-a acrescentar em seu currículo mais uma função: palestrante.

Cassy is the first of her generation born into a Christian Lebanese family after they emigrated to Australia, and she was set to be the golden grandchild. But when it was discovered that she had cerebral palsy, the promise of her wonderful future vanished, and a veil of shame descended. Now an embarrassment to the family, Cassy was hidden away from the community, just tolerated at home, and told she was an embarrassment, useless and would have no future.

Macular degeneration affects over eight million people in the United States. Patients lose central vision, the ability to read fine print and recognize faces. A diagnosis doesn't mean surrendering to these challenges. Instead, understanding this medical condition will help pave the way toward a better future-for yourself or loved one.

Medical aid in dying has been legal in New Mexico since 2021. This collection of stories about courageous terminally ill adults who have chosen medical aid in dying, is told with compassion and clarity. Dr. Sparks provides the service in New Mexico, one of 10 states, as well as Washington DC, where the practice is legal. NM currently has the most progressive law, and is the model for at least 17 other states seeking passage of similar legislation in 2024.