My name is Brian.  Brian Wigginbotham.  I am twelve years old; I live with my family in New Boston, Texas, which is northeast of the DFW metroplex. 

If you were to see me, you'd probably want to turn your head away in shame.  I am not like most kids:  I am in a wheelchair; I cannot walk (never have, never will), nor can I talk or feed myself.  I was born brain damaged; doctors diagnosed it as cerebral palsy when I was a year old.

Doctors don't know why I was born this way.  I don't know either; it's a blessing in disquise.  I say this because even though I am severely handicapped, I am not stupid.  I happen to be very smart; I just communicate a lot differently than most people.  I have a word board which acts as my "voice"; it has symbols and letters that I can point to, to get my point across.  Or I can use my facial expressions to drive the point home.

It may not be what most people are used to, but it's my life; so get used to it.  Like it or not, I'm here to stay, and you can't make me go away!

I need a lot of help with different things.  Eating.  Getting dressed (or undressed).  Brushing my teeth.  Getting my hair brushed and styled.  Getting from place to place, be it by people carrying me (I'm pretty light) or using my chair.  Even going to the bathroom, which can be degrading, especially if I have an unfortunate accident in my pants, right in front of everybody.

It's a drag, but as I said, it's my life; it's something I've lived with all my life.

And I will continue to do so until I die.  My condition will never get any better.  I will always need someone to help me.

I have a wonderful family.  I have my mom, my dad, and my granny.  I also have my older sister Wendy (she's fifteen) and my little brothers Blake (ten) and Bennaty (six).  They sometimes get sad that I can't do a lot for myself, but at least they try to help me in any way they can; they support me, which I greatly appreciate.

I also have a wonderful circle of friends.  Tony Ciccioppi.  Tyler Boyd.  Grayson Thibodeaux.  Riccardo Gomez-Hilton.  Enoch Williams.  Gage Ibbotson.  Ziggy Rosenblum.  And finally, rounding out our group of merry mischief makers, Orion Quinones.  They stick by me, too.

When I am not at school (I am in the Special Needs class; I'm now in the fifth grade), I like to have people play games with me (I like card games the best; I also love video games), watch television (I like the shoot-'em-up, car-chasing action fare), "write" stories or poems (thanks to my word board and also my special computer), go to concerts (I've seen just about everyone in country music!), and go to church; I go to a Baptist church every Sunday and again on Wednesday.

I get so much out of church.  I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was Blake's age, two years ago, when I was ten.  He's my bestest Friend in the world!  :)

Well, I gotta get ready for school, so I must leave.  I will "write" in here again; I feel I have more of my story to tell.  I will write in here soon; until then, take care!  God bless you too!

~Love, your new friend in Texas, Brian Wiggenbotham.  :)