Patricia O.
Photography by Ally Szabo
If you’re reading this, know that your disability could be the biggest blessing of your life, despite the “miles” it may take for you to get where you are today.
At the age of three, I was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy. For as long as I can remember, my life has revolved around doctors appointments, physical therapy, major medical procedures, and pain. Growing up, my years in school were a constant cycle – a major procedure every other year, six to eight months of recovery, and doing my best to bounce back before I would have to do it all over again.
However, for those who know me, I NEVER let this lifestyle define me. I was and always have been the bubbliest, most outgoing person with a smile that could light up any room. I give my all to everything I do.
I’ll begin with a story that proves this to be true, with a moment that forever changed the way I view my disability. Despite being told I would never walk or run, I learned to prove my circumstances wrong. I ran the eighth-grade mile two days before my fourteenth major surgery. I remember standing on that track, adrenaline rushing through my body, not quite sure how it would feel once it was all over. Running those four laps with my best friends, to this day, let me completely forget about the immense challenge ahead. That mile might have been the longest and hardest thing I had done. I experienced something unexplainable. My friends and family were cheering me on, though I could not hear them. My legs were quite literally on fire, yet I could not feel them. It was difficult to fathom what was going on. Here I was, pushing myself beyond limits. In those moments of complete rush, I let go.
The pain, hardship, and struggle I had endured for so long dissipated. Overwhelmingly content emotions flooded through me, a smile never diminishing from my face. Finishing that last lap, coming back slowly from my thoughts. I remember vividly falling to the ground laughing, unsure of how I had accomplished what I did. I looked up, close to tears. I had done it.
That is just one example of how I transformed my circumstances. For so long, I had learned to live with a disability in a way that I was not celebrating it for what it was. By this I mean, I would always look toward the next challenge, face and endure it, and continue on.
It wasn’t until I came to Villanova, that this mindset completely changed. The “mile” ahead of me, I was ready to run with it and take it by storm.
Entering into my time here, I was terrified that I would never find my place. The idea of college life as an individual with a physical disability seemed extremely daunting. Instead of dwelling on it, I went into the first few weeks full force. I joined clubs and organizations that I never once dreamed of becoming a part of. I became a tour guide, joined a disability advocacy organization; LEVEL, and I became an Orientation Counselor.
In my three years here, I have transformed my life as a college student with a disability. My pain and everyday difficulties are still very prominent, but I have learned to accept and praise them. Everyone has their own “mile.” How you choose to conquer them is key. The people and places that I have encountered on my journey only urge me to continue talking about my own. My advice to you: regardless of how difficult the “mile” may seem, run it. Feel every feeling; the sadness, the pure joy, and the in-between. It may take a while to reach the finish line, but I promise you, crossing it is the most exhilarating feeling in the world.
Patricia O., Villanova University
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