MY LIFE STORY

  My name is Veronica Klose I was born on the 3rd of September in 1979, I was  born 16 weeks
  (4 months) premeture and weighed only 630 grams. Because  I was so small at birth my chances
  of survival were no higher then 2 percent. I spent the next 4 months in hospital until I was strong
  enough to go home. My parents Robin and Brenda Klose drove an hour to Adelaide every day to
  see me until they could take me home.
   
  During my time in hospital I had heart surgery that saved my life. Mum and dad were so happy the
  day that they were allowed to take me home that they took me to meet the rest of the family. While
  I was in hospital the doctors discovered that I had a stroke which resulted in the limited use of my
  left arm and left leg. Which ment that I had to see all of these specialest doctors who told mum a
  series of stories eg: I wouldn't talk or walk, I was blind etc.
  
  When I was little I was a cheeky because I went into mums bedroom and played with her makeup
  and pulled out all of the tissues that were in the tissue box and spread them all over mums
  bedroom floor. I have pictures to prove it. 
  
  When I was 2 I began Physio with Margeret Wells who helped me mobilise my musles in my left arm 
  and left leg so that I could use them a lot more.  After attending Kinder I started school at the age of 6.

  At the age of 6 I started primary school, it was hard for mum and dad to find a school that would take 
  me because I had a disability. 

  I had many friends at primary school and there were also kids who didn't like me at all but that didn't
  bother me in the least because I just ignored the kids who were being mean to me and made friends
  with the nice ones. 

  I went to 2 primary schools during my primary school days, I went to Mount Barker primary and Merrivale
  primary when my family moved to Victoria in 1991, there I met some nice people who were nice enough
  to talk to me. The teachers were very  nice and supportive too.

  When I was 13 I started high school, I didn't have many friends during my high school days at Brauer
  College I spent most of the time there alone because people didn't want to get to know me. The most
  exciting thing that I did enjoy at Brauer College was my Debutante Ball in 1997, that night I will remember
  forever, I really enjoyed myself that night.

  Life with a disability is hard sometimes because I only really have the use of my right  arm and I have
  trouble doing most things like washing my hair, tying my shoe laces, changing my earings, cutting up tough
  meat, drying drinking glasses etc. I have learn't to live with my disability and over come the 
  difficulties by  finding ways to do the things I can't by asking other people for help.

  The worst thing about having a disability is the children who are up the street or at the supermarket with
  their parents who tend to stare at you because you look different then they do. I have found a way around
  that to, I just stare back at them.
 
   In June of 1999 I took my first big trip on my own to Wagga Wagga in New South Wales to visit my boyfriend
  Leon, it was a great experience I got to go to gigs with Leon and I  also met all of Leon's family they were
  very nice, I have made many trips to see him since.

  I am now 22 and my life couldn't get any better, I have a wonderful, loving boyfriend who I love with all my
  heart, he is my soulmate. We have been together for almost 2 years, he means the world to me, I miss him
  when we are apart. My disability does not bother me anymore like it use too.