Who I Am
Hi There! CP Hero Alissa Palaszynski here, a 24-year-old girl living with cerebral palsy. I use a wheelchair, I’m non-verbal, my hands move only a little, and I get a portion of my nutrition through a G-tube. I need a lot of help for almost all things. My dad helped me write this message, but I have a big heart, a love for other people, and an endless curiosity about the world.
How I Communicate
Communication is one of my biggest challenges. I don’t like to use my ACC device like Apple Ipad or Dynavox. They are too slow to use and I often can’t express the complex things I am thinking. I tried eye tracking and other methods but those were also very slow. I prefer to have people communicate to me with Yes or No questions. So people can ask me “are you feeling good” and I will reply with a simple sign for “Yes or no”. So I use very simple sign language.
I have a difficult time to open my hands and use my fingers independently. Therefore, traditional sign language that needs very complex finger movements does not work for me. But I use a modified version I developed with big movements of my hands. My family understands my signs and this and Yes/No questions is how I communicate. It works really well with my family, but for new friends that I meet they can’t understand. I try to use my ACC with new friends, but again, I find it too slow. So I just ask them to talk to me about whatever they like and I usually am happy to just let them talk to me! If anyone has any suggestions for me and how to use the ACC faster, or other ways to communicate, I would love to know.
My Passions
People time: I am an extrovert. I love people. Especially handsome guys! I love to hang out with handsome guys and I share juicy rumors with my girlfriends. I am pretty much a normal young lady and love all things romantic.
I want to help others like me. I am very lucky. I have a great family who cares for me and helps me do everything. Others are not so lucky. My favorite song is God Help the Outcasts sung by Esmeralda In Hunchback of Notre dame. She is my Hero because she wants to help all those less fortunate then her.
Story time: Because of my muscle issues, it is difficult to focus and read lots of words. So I don’t read books, but I adore audiobooks, and having someone dramatize a good tale just for me. My older sister and I have been spinning a tale of our favorite characters for several years now. We keep adding new characters to our story and keep track of how they interact with each other, how they grow up, get into relationships, and other fun things. It is like we are creating our own world. I love this and to use my imagination.
Art moments: With a helper steadying my hand, I love splashing paint on canvas or spinning clay into tiny bowls. My creations feel like fingerprints of my soul.
Daily Life & Challenges
Mornings start with my caregiver who dresses me, helps me bath and use the bathroom, and preps my G-tube feed. Pouring a drink or flipping a page takes extra hands. Uneven sidewalks, narrow doorways, and heavy doors remind me how much the world needs to open up for everyone.
I have a special computer with a very large touch screen and I love to watch YouTube. I can use my left index finger to control Windows touch prompts and type simple search terms into YouTube. I love all the old classics. They are free and they are great. So movies like Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, It’s a Wonderful Life. I also like silly and funny shows like Beverly Hillbillies. I like the old shows, I think they are funnier then the new shows and they are easy to find on YouTube. If my dad did not chase me to do exercise, I could watch YouTube all day long!
I love to ride my bike to get exercise. I can ride alone but if the ground is uneven I might fall over, so someone is always with me to help. I love being on the bike because I get a real workout. I can feel my legs and even my arms and body getting a workout. I think that this bike has helped me a lot. It keeps my muscles strong and body flexible, I feel better after I ride, I feel happy, and I sleep better at night if I get in my exercise.
My Dreams
- Harmony Haven – That is my name for a special physical space that might become a reality with the help of the BRIGHT Foundation. Imagine a stable physical space that is exciting both for CP people and for normal people. Someplace where each person can pursue their passions. So a poet or painter or musician might be sponsored to live at Harmony Haven for one year, and exchange for room and board they also participate in the small community of CP people living at Harmony Haven Home. One day, I will outlive my parents and I will need a place to call my new home. I hope it is a place like Harmony Haven!
How You Can Help
- Donate or do fundraising!
- Volunteer at BRIGHT, we need lots of help in all areas!
- Advocate in your town for smooth sidewalks, automatic doors, and inclusive school events!
- Share this webpage and all the other CP Heroes pages so more people across the globe learn about people like me!
You can read the full story of how my brain injury happened and what my parents did for the first few years of my life. The article has a lot of medical jargon and fancy words, but it’s probably very useful to other families who are in a similar situation.
Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet. Every message, every person you share this with fuels my dreams and brings us one step closer to a world where nothing slows us down. Drop a comment via e-mail to donations @ brightfoundatin.org