My name is Bright Sunshine Tjahiti.  I am 12 years old.  I live near the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, Africa; have lived here all my life.  I live there with my family:  my mamma, my pappa, and my three sisters, all of them younger than me.

I was born with a divided spine.  Because of it, I have had a lot of problems.  I have been in and out of hospital for one surgery or another; one was so dangerous, I had to be flown to the United States for special surgery.  I was six years old; my spine was so curved it was starting to bother my breathing.  It scared me.

I am happy to say I came through the surgery; I haven't really had any serious problems since.  I pray this continues.  I have the love of my Lord Jesus Christ to sustain me, get me through the hard times of my life.

When you see me, you know I am disabled.  I walk on crutches, or for longer trips, I use a wheelchair.  It's easier for me.  I also breathe with a hole in my throat.  I have bad, bad lungs (I kept getting pneumonia), so they had to do this, put a hole in my throat.  I now breathe with a tube in my throat.  It's called a "trache".  Even with it, I can talk; I just whisper more than most people. 

Since I got this done, my lungs have been doing better; I haven't been in hospital with pneumonia, so that's good.  I pray this continues.

I go to school for disabled children.  Children there have all sorts of disabilities:  divided spine (what I have; it's called "spina bifida"; I looked it up in a book), cerebral palsy, down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, blindness, deafness, missing arms or legs, big heads (hydro-something; can't remember what it's called), just all sorts of things.  I have many friends there.  I go to school Monday through Friday; on the weekends, I help my family or play if I have some free time.

Well, this is about it for now.  Maybe I will write in here again.  I have to go becasue mamma is calling me; she wants me to help milk the cows.  It's one of our main jobs, taking care of cows.  Take care, and may God bless you!

~Love, your friend from the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, Africa, Bright Sunshine Tjahiti, age 12.  :)