I am Fran - a woman with cerebral palsy, a "spastic". Every day I crash painfully to the ground, smile and get up again.
One of my favourite trips landed me at the feet of a professor I was in love with. He was a handsome, well-spoken gentleman who politely asked, “Can I help you up?” I didn’t mind his hands on me at all.
If I’m lying spread-eagled in a slippery gutter with my head perilously close to swerving taxis, it’s not so easy to smile and reassure those who ask, “Are you alright?” I have always walked a tightrope between my hopes, my dreams for an ordinary life and bruising reality which often takes me down to earth with a bump. Behind the façade of my ordinary life I hide a struggle with endless compromises which left me unhappy for many years.
These days I am no longer bitter and twisted, just unsteady on my feet. Somewhere along the way, I discovered the transforming power of forgiveness and love. My unique true story shows us how joy and fulfilment can flower in places where we least expect to find them.