W. a. Horsburgh / WaHorsburgh
A Life With Cerebral PalsyI’ve always loved Johnny Cash’s song, Ring Of Fire - one of my favourite karaoke numbers. But the significance of the phrase, for me, goes a lot deeper than just being the title of a great Country & Western song. Like Cash - and most other people, I can identify with the burning that can come with a serious love affair; the feeling of being trapped by the ’wild desire’, burning up in a relationship out of control. I’ve also felt trapped (at times) by cerebral palsy. Filled with burning ambitions, I’ve often felt so restricted by this disability that I might as well have been trapped inside a ring of fire. Apartfrom the mobility problems, which the palsy brought on, it also contributed to the loss of my eyesight. Ironically, even this phase brought echoes of Ring Of Fire. As my sight deteriorated, many strange images disrupted my visual field;not least of them, jagged, circular flashes of light. Poor mobility and blindness are two considerable obstacles for someone trying to build a career and an independent life. This is the story how I challenged my disabilities and how I managed to cope with my personal Ring Of Fire.
