IDPwD 2022: “Life didn’t end, I just had to adjust to my differently-abled body”

Disability

Last updated

1 Dec 2022

Reading time

2 min read

Share

Seven years ago, Angela was leading a ‘pretty ordinary’ life — married with two beautiful children, and a well-mapped out career path.

At the age of 30, Angela was diagnosed with Neutral Lipid Storage Disease with Myopathy. “I’d acquired skills on how to navigate through ordinary challenges. This meant I had to see myself as a completely different person with different skills and different challenges.”

She adds, “I understood that life has not ended, it has been re-pathed and I need to adjust and accommodate for my differently-abled body.”

Finding herself again

Angela pursued meditation, and engaged professional medical help and support to start her journey towards finding herself again and getting mentally, physically and emotionally stronger.

On this journey, she decided to share her story through an animation film, and to learn the skill of animation, she booked an independent support worker on Mable. Damian, who had professional experience in producing animation shows, supported Angela to design and produce her film, and advocate for the disability community through her experiences.

Over time, Angela has built a great team of support workers on Mable, who support her with everything from meal preparation, laundry and linen changing, cleaning and gardening, but also assist her to pursue her passions, such as travelling.

Read the full version of Angela’s story, recently published on North Shore Mums. In it, she talks about navigating the world of parenting and dating as a single mum. You can read the article on this page.

Also read

Read some of our other incredible stories for IDPwD 2022:
1. Penny: IDPwD 2022: “Yes, I’m a person with disability. Yes, I hike”
2. Caitlin: IDPwD 2022: “I think I’m as smart and talented as anyone else”
3. Tim: IDPwD 2022: Tim Ragg on how sports rescued him
4. Kathy: IDPwD 2022: “Autistic adults are everywhere, they are creative, have relationships, and run businesses“

Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages to see how Mable is celebrating the International Day of People with Disability.

You might be interested in

NDIS reforms announced: What we know so far
We know recent news about NDIS reforms might feel heavy. For many of you, your participants, and your loved ones, hearing about potential service caps or changes to funding for social and community participation is deeply stressful. We want to start by saying: we hear you, and we are here for you. Our commitment to you remains unchanged While the government works through these changes, we want you to know Mable's business model is not changing. Our platform continues to be a place where you can find and book independent support workers who best meet your needs or those of your clients. While we may make a few small technical updates behind the scenes, your ability to use Mable remains exactly as it is today. We're your partner and advocate During this transition, we're dedicated to supporting safe, transparent connections. We are actively advocating for person-centred approaches to care that respect your choice and control, and we'll keep helping our community understand what these r
Disabled mums are the quiet supermums
As the water trickled over the rocks and my kids explored the bush, their laughter mingling with birdsong, I sat quietly on the wooden seat, taking it all in. The peace, the joy - but also something else. My eyes welled up just as my independent support worker glanced at me. She slipped an arm around me and gave a gentle squeeze. I didn't need to explain what I was feeling but she already knew. That feeling is something that I think every parent living with a disability needs to hear and embrace. A different kind of angst Mum - and dad - guilt is almost synonymous with parenting these days. We worry we're not doing enough, not being enough; that there's never enough time, money, or energy. But when you're parenting with disability, that feeling cuts deeper. It's the sting when you can't do something for, or with, your kids. Like driving them to a birthday party, kicking a soccer ball in the backyard. It's crying quietly in the kitchen when disability and parenthood all feels too much.
Independent Thoughts: Melissa and Simone
Independent Thoughts digs deeper into what it really means to live on your terms, sharing insights into life for people with disability and older Australians. We invite guests with lived experience to share their perspectives in an open dialogue. From casual chats to asking some of life's biggest questions, Independent Thoughts covers it all. Independent Thoughts is an invitation to join us as we challenge the status quo, shatter stereotypes, and redefine independence – one open-hearted conversation at a time. In this episode, we meet Simone, who manages support for her dad, Con, through Mable. She speaks with host and Clinical Psychologist, Melissa Levi . Finding the right support Dogs, flowers and a veggie garden. These are three things that bring Con joy, according to his daughter, Simone. But as he got older, it became physically harder for him to stay connected to the parts of life he loved. When Con and Simone felt it was time to begin looking for help at home, it was import