You will want independence – your own accessible home, dating, a support team – and feel frustrated at the wait.

Invacare Action 3 Junior children wheelchair - Invacare UK Invacare Action 3 Junior children wheelchair - Invacare UK

Steel Transport Wheelchair features an extremely compact and lightweight steel frame and is ideal for the occasional or first time user who wants a strong, reliable and easy to use wheelchair.You will fight fiercely to keep your independence, but perhaps you can ask for help occasionally – it isn’t a sign of weakness. Some people actually like helping you and get a sense of fulfilment from it, especially your family; be kind to them, as they only want to support you. Music has also long been calling your name – you’ll find a drum set in one of the practice rooms to help channel your angst. Over the coming years, songs will fall from the sky and into your lap from time to time. Their arrival will bring you great comfort, as it will to many others. I’m proud of you. I should say that from the off. I’m proud of all the things that you will go on to achieve: a PhD; your first book; a column in a national newspaper; the perfect blow dry. I’m proud of the fact you did it all with low-grade muscles, fatigue, pain, steps and more chest infections than you can count. Memories of my own teenage years are still strong enough, 10 years on, to cause panic to rise like a wave in my chest. One of the things I most vividly remember is fear. Fear that I wouldn’t achieve anything, fear that I would always be lonely. Fear, most of all, that things would never get better.

Wheelchair | Breast Cancer Awareness | CareCo Aspire Transit Wheelchair | Breast Cancer Awareness | CareCo

Do not get the pink wheelchair. You won’t be able to afford a new one until you’re 17 and no one wants to go to sixth form looking like Barbie on acid. If I could give you one teeny piece of advice, though, I’d say, never apologise. Naturally, you will do things that you should say sorry for, but I mean the bigger stuff: never apologise for being you. You’re loud, you’re annoying, you’re goofy, you’re disabled and (spoiler alert) you’re gay.This is not always an easy way to be, but you are not drawn to easy pleasures. And yet you find joy in humble, bright things. Sunshine. The sound of the gulls. The moon at midnight. Don’t lose these things, even if no one else appreciates them – keep saving them up in your heart because one day you will weave them into stories. The most radiant and rebellious thing you can do is to fall in love with your body. And you will. You will appreciate all of your femininity, physical strength and unexpected grace. But it will take work.