Bound Bound and tied, Access denied. Unable to escape The ropes that choke And hold you. Bound and tied To society's view Of who you are And your place, Your value, Your worth, On this blessed earth. For we are all the same Whether free, Whether chained. It takes the eyes and minds And hands of compassion Of kindness To unravel those ropes. To free you and Release the potential, Embolden the person No longer trapped But unbound, untied. _____________________________ In the 10 years my daughter Milla was alive, she could not walk or talk. To many she was 'bound' by her disabilities. But Milla travelled to Indonesia, Dubai, America with us. She experienced life. Because we were determined that she should not be bound. But to untie the ropes of stigma and inaccessibility took more than us, her parents and family. It took kindness, dedication, skill, professionalism, enthusiasm, compassion, care, determination from so many people. Teachers, educators, health care professionals, physiotherapists, surgeons, consultants, doctors, nurses, carers, hospice staff, respite staff, volunteers, and friends. They were all a huge part of Milla's life. And her freedom to experience life and to feel a valued part of society. Thank you to every one of them. You helped free Milla and you were part of her ever present smile. For Milla xx
