November 2024
My name is Florence Moody, I am 9 years old. I live in London with my older sister, Grace, my mum, dad and 2 dogs, Chip and Pixie, and I have cerebral palsy.
I became a patient at Evelina London when I was about 3 years old. I have bilateral cerebral palsy GMFCS 2, which means I have difficulty moving my arms and legs on both sides of my body. I have cerebral palsy because my brain was damaged at birth, but it does not affect how smart I am.
The care at Evelina London I have received was and is brilliant. They are so kind and they're mostly why I can walk. You see, I used to walk on my tiptoes and I still would now if it wasn't for the amazing orthopaedics team at Evelina London.
They did my operation and I'm so thankful they did.
I was 6 years old when I had my muscle release operation on my left leg and sole of my foot. It was done during the COVID-19 pandemic and me and my family all had to self-isolate for 2 weeks beforehand and I had to have a negative COVID-19 test before I was allowed into hospital. I was the only patient on the ward that day and the doctors were all supportive and reassured me everything was going to be ok.
After the procedure I went home the same day and I had to wear a cast on my left leg for 6 unbearable weeks! It was itchy and uncomfortable and made walking really difficult and sometimes I had to use a wheelchair if we went out for the day or to go to school.
It was a tough recovery and definitely painful having to walk with the cast on and even more so after the cast came off. But it was so worth it in the end. My leg was very weak when the cast came off and I had to work so hard exercising and building up my strength. There were some tears but I was determined that I would get through it. And I did. I now walk without being on my tiptoes.
I struggle with PE at school and have a personal PE trainer that my parents pay for instead because I could not keep up in PE and felt like I could do more if I had the right coaching. My coach boosted my confidence and I realised just how much I was capable of given the right teaching and encouragement.
I was inspired to do a triathlon which is a race that includes swimming, cycling and running. In 2024 I took part in the Superhero Series at Dorney Lake which is held every year. It is a special day only for people with disabilities and their sidekicks, that was my dad. My dad swam in the lake because although I can actually swim really well, the lake looked creepy and gross! I did the cycle race on my tricycle and also did the running. Considering the amount of pain I was in afterwards, I think it was the right decision not to swim for my first time, but maybe next year I will swim too. It was an amazing day and I would definitely encourage others to do it, because It was so fun and worth it when you're done. You also get a medal!
It was amazing to see what people can do when they have proper access to sport and they don't let their disability stop them. It was a great day out too and I tried out wheelchair basketball, archery, throwing and blind bowling. I was also lucky enough to be filmed by Channel 4. You can watch the coverage of the Superhero Tri 2024 on the Channel 4 website, skip to 28 minutes and 30 seconds see me crossing the finish line!
I like to keep active as it helps with my strength and coordination. I swim and also do Taekwondo and have just achieved my quarter yellow belt! My passion, however, is drama which I do for half a day every Saturday. It is so much fun.
I want to become an actor because disabled actors don't go on TV that often so I want to show the world disabled people can, and just because I have cerebral palsy doesn't mean I can't be on TV.
I hope I have inspired you to always try your best, know you can and don't let anyone get in your way - just follow your dreams and keep going.
