💗 Olivia means ‘Fruitful Beauty & Dignity’ ~ that describes her completely!

Meet my wonderful Guest Blogger ~ Olivia is a dynamic, courageous, able woman, nothing disabled about her!! I look forward to her posts each day on ‘What the Angels are saying’ & there ain’t no other woman that can wear a red lippy as well as she can!

I was approached by the lovely Regina, as it is Spina Bifida awareness month to do a blog, and I thought the timing was just perfect to get started and share my own experiences of having the conditions Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Firstly I’ll tell you a little bit about the condition, Spina Bifida basically means spilt spine and surgery is usually required in the first 24 hrs of birth, I have also the secondary condition hydrocephalus which basically means water on the brain, however I didn’t need a shunt to drain the fluid as it had arrested itself at a couple of months old. Aside from all of that I did end up having major brain surgery when I was 14 due to Arnold Chairi Malformation which means that skull bone was pressing on my brain stem causing a build up of pressure on the brain. Spina Bifida is also known as the snowflake condition as no two cases are the same.

I’m 46 next week, I live my parents in Naas, Co Kildare and have 3 sisters and 1 brother and 15 nieces and nephews and I work in the family business 3 days a week. I am a naturally positive, independent, adaptable and resourceful person, I went to local national school in a village outside kildare before we moved to Naas. I had a very positive experience in primary school, the students used to fight in the school yard to see who was going to push me around the school yard next. I found 2nd level school to be much tougher academically as I found it hard to learn and retain information and I loved learning particularly if it was something new and of interest to me and I always achieved whatever I set my mind too, I can be very stubborn. I then went on to do secretarial course which I loved and I am working in the family business for the last 25 years on the switchboard among other tasks.

I am a very social person, I would go to the opening of an envelope, I love being around other people and enjoy their company. I found covid tough and it taught me a lot, I did some online course and connected with lots of people and groups on Facebook all of a positive content, connection is very important to me. I am delighted to be out and about working, meeting people face to face again and serving the public, sure isn’t that what it’s all about. I am very positive about what the future holds for me.

#strongwomen

#womenempoweringwomen

#mystory

#guestblogger

#spinabifida

#ireland

#nostalgia

#spinabifidaawarenessmonth

#Hydrocephalus