Kate and Mandy talk to adult peashoot Jasmine, a qualified peafessional social worker with cerebral palsy and valued member of the Too Peas Facebook Hangout. 

Jasmine experienced a severe brain injury after undergoing a cardiac arrest at only three hours old, a traumatic experience for her parents. Jasmine shares her parents’ experience of the early days of her hospitalisation, diagnosis at thirteen months of age, and early intervention therapies until the age of six.

Jasmine went to a mainstream primary school and was a bright student who was well ahead of her age in reading. Her school had a high proportion of children with special needs, which the teachers managed alone without aides. Her high school was not very accessible and looking back, she can see that having to ‘get on with life because there was no other option’ helped to make her the person she is today.

Jasmine talks about her experiences of surgery, gaining more and more independence by getting her licence and doing TAFE studies and her days as ‘babysitter extraordinaire’ for a local family who entrusted her with their kids and helped her believe in herself. She also shares stories about her beloved nephew Nicholas, who was born premature and developed quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and shares a shocking rectum comment he once copped at school.

Jasmine also talks about her overseas travel experience, including going on every ride at Disneyland, and shares some outrageous rectum comments she was subjected to from a member of her church community. She also talks about the difficulties she’s experienced in finding work even though she’s a fully qualified social worker, and her experience of being hospitalised due to depression and anxiety. Jasmine also talks about the realities of getting older, and being pragmatic about what type of care she might need in the future, and shares a message to Peas to try and help their peashoots to live the life they choose when they reach adulthood.

Jasmine also shares a powerful and moving poem she wrote about her unique life experience - check the Too Peas Instagram page to read it!

Plus:

·    Kate is loving Nobody’s Princess apparel who make ski gear to suit women’s bodies.

·    Buy our book The Invisible Life Of Us to keep it on the bookshelves so all the other Peas can find it!

·    Get a signed copy and deck yourself out in some excellent Too Peas merch here!

·    Listen to our Spotify playlist – Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas Love

·    Melbourne forecast for Thursday November 11 – Partly cloudy, 17 degrees

·    Join our Facebook Hangout

·    Find us on YouTube

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