This was something l was ask to do last year but was unsuccessful in my submission but feel its very relevant to my degree show as it maps out part of my journey.
Baby Steps
This installation is an extract of my childhood growing up as a disabled person
My first every leg was called a pylon, which was made of wood, metal and leather, a cough to support my stump. As a baby of around 8 or 9 months old l was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge for my first ever fitting. At this point the operation to turn the stump into the correct shape had not taken place; the leg had to accommodate this.
We lived in a two up two down house in Kings Lynn and mum would sit me in the front room and leave me as it upset her to watch me trying to push the leg off my stump. One day she was in the kitchen. Suddenly I had gone quiet so she peeped in to see if l had fallen asleep with all my crying. There l was up at the window looking at a bird and trying to speak to them, l had found l could stand on it and so this was the start.
The baby walker came next which was a great help for me to stand up and support myself. The house was on a small incline and dad stood at the top while mum was at the bottom. They would set me off to walk up and down this will l got the hang of it. Apparently l walked at 11 months and was suppose to have physio at Addenbrookes to help with this process but only went once. l feels this has kept me going all my life.
Baby Walker – Images will be projected in the bottom of the walker of myself playing with the bricks from the walker, also showing the tops of my fingers are missing, this was also from birth.
