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Mizuki’s Mother


 Mizuki, you are amazing, but I think your mother must be even more amazing.

Many people say so. 

Yes, my mother is very amazing…well I would say she is very strong.

  

I started using a wheelchair when I entered elementary school.

I didn’t have any issues to use the wheelchair by junior high school.

However the high school I got accepted was located in the middle of mountain.

There was a long steep up-hill from my home to the high school.

 

My mother went to the city hall to apply for the aid to purchase a power wheelchair because she thought I wouldn’t be able to go to school by using my manual wheelchair.

 

However, the staff of city hall said,

 Your daughter doesn’t have any disabilities on her upper body, right? 

The aid of power wheelchair is available only for people with upper body disabilities. So your daughter cannot apply for this.

 

The staff was right.

A power wheelchair is for someone who cannot control a manual wheelchair by their hands. According to the rule, they cannot provide the aid for me.

  

However, my mother replied,

My daughter doesn’t have any disabilities on her upper body.  

But, she won’t be able to go up hill by her manual wheelchair. 

I cannot give her a ride everyday either. 

If you say that she cannot apply for the aid, you really mean  “DO NOT GO TO THE HIGH SCHOOL”, right? 

The staff was upset and run to talk to her boss.

Eventually, I could apply for the aid and got a power wheelchair.

  

If I couldn’t get the power wheelchair, I couldn’t go to the high school.

I wouldn’t have experienced to go to Australia as a field trip, and wouldn’t study in the US afterwards.

I wouldn’t have opportunities to work in Tokyo, and never ever have a chance to come back in the US.

 

What my mother has done guided me to here.

 

I would say, I am not an amazing person.

 

My mother who raised me is the real amazing person.

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