Eve Cushnaghan

My husband and I would like to nominate our daughter Eve. Eve was born 9 weeks early weighing 2lbs 10oz, she had eye surgery at only 3 weeks old, as she had retinopathy or prematurity in both eyes, the sight in her right eye was saved, but she has virtually no vision in her left eye. She did not walk until she was nearly 2 years old, and at age 3 was discovered to have cerebal palsy affecting the left side of her body. From the age of 3 until about age 11 she wore a plastic caliper on her left leg. She has physio done every day on her leg and had physiotherapist visiting her at home every 3 weeks for 12 years. We have gone from hospital visits every 3 months for her eye check up's and her physio visits to now a once a year overall check up at our local hospital and optician visits. She has now started secondary school and is a clever girl, she has a classroom assistant to help her get from class to class and she also transports a slopping board that Eve uses to write, she is slower at writting than her peers and mobility is not a fluid, however she does her best to keep up with them. She swims and trains three times week with a former paralympic swimmer, her dream is also to take part in the paralympic's. She takes part in numerous swimming gala's through out the year. We are taking part in the race for life soon and have done for the past 4 years, she is a determined girl who also thinks of others less fortunate than herself.