Guest Author - Jessica Steinmetz

Book Review: From Where I Sit – Making My Way with Cerebral Palsy
By Jessica McFarlane

From Where I Sit : Making My Way With Cerebral Palsy


Are you ready for a real book about a woman with cerebral palsy? If the answer is yes, I recommend you read this well-written book by a talented author. You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll definitely want to read it again.

Shelley Nixon chronicles her life in the autobiography From Where I Sit : Making My Way With Cerebral Palsy published by Scholastic in 1999. Nixon wrote the book by dictation. Nixon attends Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She is studying Human Services, and when she graduates, she plans to help children with disabilities.

Besides writing, Nixon enjoys watching movies, people, and music. She likes trying new things and likes to laugh. She is a performer for AbleArts. AbleArts is a theater group for people with and without disabilities. Nixon has always had a love for writing stories and poetry. Her poetry is throughout her book. Anyone will enjoy this book – whether you have a disability or not.

Nixon was born three months premature in 1977. She remained in the hospital for care. When she was released, her parents were happy to take their daughter home. However, they noticed that Nixon wasn’t developing skills like other babies her age. Doctors told them she would slowly get better, but that never happened. Finally, a year later, they were told she has cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy affects everyone differently. Nixon has athetoid CP and uses a wheelchair to get around. She needs assistance with daily tasks and has a speech impediment. She has also been through many surgeries. However, Nixon lives a normal life with friends, college, goals, and activities.

Please keep in mind that CP does not mean the person is mentally retarded. While growing up, she attended school and camps just like any other child. In her book, Nixon shares how people react to her CP and her wheelchair. She also tells about her family – triumphs, sicknesses, and deaths. Through it all, Nixon is just a woman making her way through life.

I recommend this book for anyone, but especially those who might know someone with cerebral palsy.