It is my dream to walk

Having been diagnosed with a neurofibroma at birth, 25-year-old Natalie Fullwood has never been able to walk. However, she believes that it is never too late for a change, and her dream is that one day, she will experience the joys of walking.

“It is my dream to walk. I always wanted to do so from I was a child because I have siblings, and all of them can move about. So I always ask myself why it has to be me that have to be like this,” Fullwood told THE STAR.

A neurofibroma is a tumour that grows along a nerve in any part of the body. It can result in a range of symptoms from physical disfiguration to cognitive disability. In Fullwood’s case, it has affected her ability to walk, however, the situation can be addressed.

“Once the surgery is done, she should be able to walk again,” Dr Millicent Broderick, medical doctor, told THE STAR.

Fullwood said that her disability has prevented her from achieving a life she deems more satisfying.

“My disability has affected my life in more ways than one. I have never been to school, and that has affected me because sometimes I wish I had the chance to an education so I could get a job to help myself better,” she said. “Sometimes I would want to run or walk by myself and I can’t. It is a condition that I have been dealing with my whole life.”

The St Elizabeth native said she has visited local doctors who have told her that in order for her to walk, two metal rods would have to be placed in both legs through a surgical procedure, which cots $500,000.

“I need help for the surgery. I haven’t raised any funds as yet, but I’m just trying to see how I can get the money. It is not easy. I plan to do a video for YouTube as well so that people can see my situation. To be honest, I would do anything just to walk,” she said.