Illness and Disability

Born with an illness or disability

I am an athlete, and because I was born with Spina Bifida, I compete in a wheelchair. I think that sometimes when people first meet me, they feel sorry for me and think that there must be so much I can't do, but I don't like the word "can't," because I can do pretty much anything I want to – sometimes I just have to be more creative about it than other people. I participated in Athens, Greece for the 2004 Paralympics. My hobbies include playing basketball, track, field, swimming, sled hockey, table tennis, and skiing. I also like hanging out with my friends and family when I'm not involved in sports. The most important things to me in this world are my family and friends. Being healthy is very important to me, and to do so, I try to maintain a healthy balanced diet by eating foods like fruit, vegetables, meat, and a few sweets.

Tatyana

If you were born with an illness or disability like Tatyana, you don’t know what life is like without it. You probably know everything there is to know about your particular illness or disability. And you know that even though you have a disability or illness, there are lots of things you CAN do. Check out the links in this section for even more information on illness and disability.

Return to Illness and Disability Main Page

Other Illness and Disability pages:
Types of illness and disability
Born with an illness or disability
Learning you have an illness or disability
Living with an illness or disability
Rehabilitation
Becoming independent
Games and activities
Medical issues
Medical terms
Do you know someone with an illness or disability?
For more information...

girlshealth.gov Glossary

Last updated June 2007