Constant Care

My name is Jazzlin. I am 11 years old and live on a farm outside Worcester in the Western Cape, South Africa.

I was born with cerebral palsy. My legs don’t work, and even holding a teacup can be difficult. On the farm, my days were quiet. My only company was a few elderly aunties sitting under a tree. I couldn’t run or play, and there was very little stimulation around me.

The other children went to school or crèche. I stayed behind.

My body was in a wheelchair, but my mind was running freely. I longed to learn, to play, to be part of something—to belong.

There are many children like me. Children who feel excluded from the simple, meaningful parts of life. You may know someone who has felt this way—a child, a sibling, a friend.

And you also know the opposite feeling: the joy of being included, the freedom to participate, the deep sense of belonging that comes from being part of something.

Everything changed when my mom heard about ASD Sean Kelly Centre.

It is a s...