Loving Myself

Chapter 1

"Jace it's time to get up," my older brother, Jacob, says coming into my bedroom.

Groaning I push myself up with my arms to a sitting position. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes with the heel of my hands before leaning over the side of my bed to grab the arm rests of my wheelchair pulling it closer to my bed before locking the brakes on the wheels.

Tossing the covers off my lower body, I lift my body off my bed into my chair, settling myself correctly, unlock the brakes before wheeling myself into my bathroom to perform my morning routines.

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Jace Martin, I'm 17 years old senior in high school. I'm the second oldest child of my parent's five children. My parents are not together any longer, they went their separate ways when my mom walked out of our lives when my youngest sister Amelia was only 4 years old.

There's my older brother, Jacob, who's 18 years old with dark curly brown hair with dark brown eyes and he's 6 feet tall and built but lean. Then there's me, I'm 5 feet 9 inches tall with short dark brown hair and brown eyes. I have a form of spina bifida called Meningeal, where the protective membranes around my spinal cord, the meninges, are pushed out though the opening in my vertebrae that formed into a sac filled with fluid. The sac doesn't include my spinal cord, so I have nerve damage in my legs but not as severe as someone who has Myelomeningocele where this is the most severe form of spina bifida and they have complete nerve damage from the waist down and are wheelchair bound for life.

Yes, I do use a wheelchair when my legs hurt or feel weak but I can walk with leg braces and crutches and I'm likely to have complications later on in my life. I also participate in wheelchair basketball and I surf but my absolute favorite sport is motocross.

Motocross is where people in wheelchairs are performing tricks while in our chairs that are adapted from BMX and skateboarding. Professionals from around the world compete from around the world and one day I hope to be one of those on the professional level. I'm working on it and most days when I'm at the skate park practicing I'm usually there with Jacob who is on his skate board as is Amelia and sometimes our dad. Usually when we're at the skate park Abigale and Annaliese are there playing basketball or all five are playing basketball, sometimes dad plays this as well.

While doing motocross I wear either my all black, black and red or white and black helmet or elbow pads because safety first. I have a wheelchair that is specifically made for those who perform in sports called sport wheelchairs and then I have my everyday chair. The reason for the two different wheelchairs is in case I damage my sports wheelchair I have the one I can use daily and not be out the use of it if need be.

So, on to the rest of my siblings; there are my three younger sisters; Abigale who's 16 years old with long wavy dark brown hair, blue eyes and porcelain colored skin. Annaliese, whose 15 years old with long wavy brown hair, brown eyes and light skin tone. Then there's Amelia who's 14 years old with long wavy light brown hair, blue eyes and white skin.

My mom has two more children from two different men. There's our oldest half-sister, Noelle who's 21 years old and she has very light brown hair with some blond highlights, brown eyes and her dad left mom when she announced that she was pregnant with Noelle. Then there's our little half-brother, Gavin whose 9 years old with semi long dark brown hair that's almost black, dark hazel eyes and his dad and our mom are currently together.

Mom's name is Nicole Hendricks; she's pretty in a mom sense for a 49 year old woman. She's 5 feet 6 inches tall, short dirty blond hair, pale blue eyes, pale skin and skinny even after seven children. Dad's name is Jason Martin; he's in good shape for a 50 year old man. He's built, stands at 6 feet 2 inches, his hair color is naturally dark brown but is more white than natural with pale blue eyes.