This is a picture of my mum when she was 16 or 17 years old. She was born in 1940. When she was 3, she got polio and had to stay in an ‘iron lung’ for a long time. I remember her telling me that her parents couldn’t visit her often because she had two younger siblings to take care of. As a result of the polio, my mum had one leg shorter than the other and a hip problem that wasn’t found until many years later.
I love this photo because my mum looks so happy and full of life. Despite suffering from constant back and hip pain her whole life, she never showed it. She refused to let it hold her back. When she was 45, she was still getting wolf whistles on the street, and I was so embarrassed as a kid (lol).
Sadly, my mum passed away on Christmas Eve in 2019, just one day after being diagnosed with cancer. She had been ill for months before, losing weight, not being able to eat or sleep. But she tried so hard to hide it and even apologized for not being able to make us a cup of tea or a meal when we visited. My mum was the strongest person I’ve ever known. I miss her so much…
Credit: Luise Cosford