Parents in Wheelchairs

A life unplanned......

October 21, 2015
Ha! Going so much better than planned!


 

Camouflage.....

October 21, 2015
The lengths that some will go to to sneak on to a disabled parking bay.....


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How the body's reflexes still try to 'kick in'.....

October 21, 2015
Haha........when I'm being a little impatient in a queue or watching the numbers indicating the progress (or not!) of a lift's ascent/decent I often ‘flick a wheelie’ and hover around balancing on my back wheels for a while......

Stuck in traffic waiting to get out of a car park yesterday, feeling the frustration and impatience brewing....went to flick a wheelie.....that subtle movement of the body does not have the same effect when sitting in a car.......all four wheels remained in full ...


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Pregnancy and early days of parenthood.....

October 19, 2015

I was recently asked to contribute to a magazine article by answering some questions about my pregnancy and the early days of parenthood….thought I’d share the answers to the questions on this blog…..

 

How old were you when you sustained your SCI and how did it happen?

I was 23 years old when I sustained my SCI in 1996. I was on holiday in Tenerife and there was a severe wind storm. A tree was blown down and struck me from behind. I heard the ‘crack’ of the tree and was pushed...


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Spinal Injuries Awareness Day - 16th May - Back Up Trust's campaign; 'Join The Dots'

May 13, 2014


The Back Up Trust are running a campaign for Spinal Injuries Awareness Day on 16th May.

The campaign is called Join the Dots and will look at the importance of wheelchair skills and how it enables people to get around their environment at home. A series of videos will be released throughout the day looking at wheelchair skills and how they enable people to use public transport and “join the dots” (on the tube map) around their city.

Please view the link on their webpage http://www.backuptr...


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Ability to find and remain in work when you have a disability...

January 26, 2014
Recent article in The Guardian and some of my thoughts.....

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/25/disabled-charities-fit-to-work-tests-benefit


Some people out there must make out they can't work when they can......but for those with conditions/disabilities that are unable to work, even if it's because their condition fluctuates, making their work ability unpredictable, there should be support made available in a timely fashion. 
However, it must also be borne in mind that, for those ...

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We are all wonder-women!.....

January 26, 2014
We are all wonderful women!.....
https://fbcdn-photos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1009975_666615096734820_2056593710_n.jpg?dl=1

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I'm not 'wheelchair-bound'.....

January 24, 2014
Being 'wheelchair-bound' is one misconception of living with paralysis.......my wheelchair actually gives me my freedom to be mobile.....everyone else sees my chair more than me, as the majority of the time, I'm looking at anything but my chair - do you spend time looking at the chair you sit on at work, in a restaurant, on the train, in the cinema etc.?????? 

As for being wheelchair-bound, let me assure you....I do not sleep in my wheelchair, I do not bathe in my wheelchair, I do not drive fr...

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Being realistic about my limitations.......

February 10, 2012
I'd like to think that there is nothing I cannot do for my daughter and for the most part that is true....there is very rarely (to the point where I can't think of an example) a time when I have had to ask someone to take the reins because of me being unable to do something for Sarah.
I have always been aware that the weather can emphasise my limitations - if it's really wet outdoors, controlling the speed of my chair on anything but a flat surface is tricky. To slow down my wheelchair I must...

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Sweet Sixteen.....

January 30, 2012

It was a rare occasion this morning that I took Sarah to pre-school as James has a day off work. (Normally, he takes her in the morning and I collect her in the evening). I went in to take Sarah a cup of tea and she said "What are you doing Mummy?" I said I'd brought her a cup of tea and she clambered out of bed and on to my lap....."I'm having a game Mummy...that I lost my home and someone had to help me find it".......I asked her how her toe was (as she stubbed it yesterday) and, after a co...

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About Me


Ali Gibson Working Mum/Wife, 42, Spinal Cord Injury - T12 Complete