Carissa's Law

Fiction by Misty Boyd.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

What do you know about spina bifida? I didn't know much. What I was pretty sure I knew was (a) it's caused by lack of folic acid in the mother's diet during pregnancy, and (b) babies born with it usually die soon after birth or are in a permanent near-vegetative state.

Well, this book didn't address the folate deficiency thing, and wikipedia agrees that it is a risk factor but not necessarily a cause. So I was partly right about (a). But I was quite wrong about (b)!

This novel was actually written by a woman with spina bifida. The story is about an 18-year-old girl with the condition who uses a wheelchair and has some medical troubles, but is otherwise just like any other girl of her age: going to college, trying to be independent from her parents, and meeting boys she'd like to date.

I enjoyed reading about a character who is different from myself and realizing how alike we all really are. Also, I learned a few things about dealing with a disability that I'd never thought of before. For example: When able-bodied people take up the only handicapped stall in a public restroom, it's pretty upsetting to a person who uses a wheelchair, especially if there are regular stalls open. I'm trying to remember not to do that in the future!

Anyways, this was a nice story and a quick read.