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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Letters

The stark choice between a life with care or no life at all

Silhouette of woman in wheelchair at home
‘Many adults with severe disabilities are lucky if they have the necessary care package to enable them to keep body and soul together,’ say Louise and Molly Hardwick. Photograph: demaerre/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Lucy Webster does a brilliant job of rewriting the narrative around care for disabled people, making it clear that such support is empowering for many (Some people think they would rather die than have help brushing their teeth – but care is not tragic, 6 June). I applaud her. And I envy her.

The narrative unfolding for me now is rather different. My own disability is new to me and growing. A few years ago, I was walking miles, climbing rocks, driving alone across Europe, working and playing hard. Now, I need sticks to cross a room and cannot stand up long enough to cook a meal. For me, care is a powerful symbol of what I am losing and how much harder my life is becoming.

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