On My Own Two — Young Lee

When I was a kid, I felt as if I were the only one with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). I felt like I was one of one. Though I did have my father as a CMTer…

If I woke up early enough as a child, I could catch my grandmother, my “Po Po,” doing her tai chi exercises in an open area of our house right by the front door. For…

I can’t say I’ve always loved every moment of being Asian American, but I’ve always felt connected to Asian American culture. And I appreciate that. I see myself in Asian American stories. The way we…

Last week, I wore my ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) while taking an evening stroll. I marveled at how much easier walking is with AFOs than without them. It was one of the highs of my week. But I also…

I arrived at the venue more than an hour before my buddy’s wedding rehearsal was supposed to start. Even though the rehearsal itself was a kind of preparation, and my role in the ceremony wasn’t very big, I…

When it comes to doing cardio at the gym, I’ve always preferred the stationary bike to the treadmill. I have yet to fall off a stationary bike, but I’ve fallen off a treadmill several times in my life. “…

When Bernadette Scarduzio, a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) patient-advocate and star of the CMT documentary “Bernadette,” was in the midst of filming her documentary 10 years ago, she often thought about all the celebrities that appear in movies…

Let’s talk about disability fashion. Word on the street is Gen-Z killed skinny jeans. The ritual of stretching your pant legs over every contour of your thighs and calves before leaving home is apparently over. I’m not shedding…

With great effort, a woman pulls herself up from a wheelchair and into the back seat of a car. Her body is weak, and she can’t seem to move her legs. She wasn’t always like this, though, unable to…

I got a new handicapped parking placard a few weeks ago. Two, in fact, as the old one had expired. I even splurged on nice plastic covers to protect them. Why did I feel the need to get new…

I have a memory of my brother and me from at least two decades ago, when I was a small child. My brother and I are relaxing on the couch at my grandparents’ house. It’s a lazy…

My brother, 14 years my elder, tells me he remembers once losing track of 6-year-old me during one of our family trips to Washington, D.C. Specifically, it was at the Lincoln Memorial while it was fairly crowded. He tells…