July is Disability Awareness Month, which is why I've been sharing a little of my journey.

Life changes in an instant; one day you’re yourself, and the next you’re a version of you that feels both familiar and foreign. Still you, but not quite the same. No one prepares you for the years of hard work ahead. Some people give up, some barely make it, and even those who do carry endless “what ifs” in their minds.

What if I had stayed home that day?

What if I hadn’t gotten into that car?

What if I had cared for my loved one differently?

These questions weigh heavily not only on those living with disabilities, but also on the ones who care for them, because carers carry the pain just as deeply, even if in different ways.

And then there’s the one “what if” we’re often too afraid to say out loud: What if I could just die?

Chainama Hospital, despite the stigma attached to its name, deserves far more recognition for the countless lives it saves every year.

Living with a disability isn’t just about the physical challenges, it’s the mental battles that family and friends alone can’t always ease. This month, I want to thank the support systems and professionals who help lighten the mental weight of those relentless “what if” scenarios.

And perhaps the biggest “what if” I carry is this: What if the person I was before the accident isn’t me at all, and this version is the real me?

That thought reminds me, I probably still need more sessions at Chainama.