A Leeds woman who took 14 years to walk again after being hit by a car has shared an emotional open letter to her younger self as part of Day One Trauma Support's Major Trauam Awareness Week.
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00:00This is my letter. Dear teenage me, the road you have travelled so far has been filled
00:06with obstacles, frustration and moments of deep despair and isolation. I understand the
00:13struggles you face every day, trying to fit in, trying to be understood and trying to
00:18navigate a world that often feels overwhelming and unforgiving. Always praying that someone,
00:25something will fix you. Becoming a young woman is very scary for you, how you look and feel
00:32about yourself. You feel like you don't belong and often question your worth because
00:38of your brain injury and because of the struggles that come with simply being human. Looking
00:44back I can see that you are feeling detached from yourself as a person and feel a kind
00:50of dissociation. You won't understand this right now but it is just your way of coping
00:57with the traumatic experiences that you have had and your worry about the future. You are
01:03not defined by your past or limitations, you are defined by your courage, your resilience
01:09and your unwavering determination. You will experience relationships, you will walk down
01:16the aisle without your wheelchair or crutches, you will own a house and have dogs that you
01:21manage to walk daily. However the most incredible part of your life will be the unconditional
01:27love that you feel for your three amazing children who inspire you every day. I am proud
01:34of how you learn to accept yourself exactly as you are, always trying to be the best version
01:40that you can be but knowing that your limp, your aches and pains, your discomfort and
01:46your scars are your war wounds and proof of your undeniable battle. As you reach the milestone
01:53of 40 years old you have a moment in your hectic life to look back on the path you have
01:58travelled.