The Seven Year Stitch

Well the October 18th can only mean one thing in the world of Boo, Toby's birthday. This year is one that feels slightly strange, age 7 in 2014 is like entering teenage hood and seven years is the same amount of time that we tried to get him here in the first place. 

Yesterday was my reminder of not only how long Thread Drawn by Tobyboo has been about but also what we went through to become parents to the real Toby. I know each year I bore anyone reading about our struggle and luck but maybe for some this is the first time hearing it all and in fact might be interested.... or I could as ever be talking to myself. 

If it wasn't for Toby I wouldn't be doing what I do, I started up Tobyboo as a hobby because I couldn't afford friends baby presents but had to make it work to earn me a living because after 7 years of not working due to disability what choice did I have?

I'm still disabled, I'm in a lot of pain but I am on a huge cocktail of meds that mean I can move and sew and walk - I consider myself so, so lucky - I am lucky. 

So this week it came out that the Welfare reform minster, Lord Freud, claimed disabled people are not worth minimum wage... not sure how to swear at that. Most people's perceptions of disability are 

a) something you're born with 

b) wheelchair 

c) it's physical 

d) if you can stand, see or hear you clearly aren't disabled. 

People need to be educated about what it means to be disabled and not go social media mad when they see someone get out of a wheelchair.

No one looks at me and thinks I'm disabled unless I'm in the wheelchair, if I use the stick most people think I've done something to my leg. Disability is massive umbrella which unfortunately means having to try harder than those that don't. As someone who was in full health before I work and try 10 times harder than I did before, I can't imagine what it's like to only know the struggle and discrimination all the time. The annoying thing is that as a self employed disabled person I do earn less than £2 an hour....