“The Skyline Elementary School in Solana Beach will have its fifth annual talent show,” the announcement read. The students were all abuzz with who would try out, who would “make the cut,” and just how many would have the courage to stand before a couple hundred of their peers and parents and perform. Entries ranged from joke tellers, original skits, and—the most popular—musical acts.
Natalia came home psyched up to perform a lip-sync with half-a-dozen of her friends to the music of a popular teenage boy group currently adored by elementary school girls who know every word of their every song. Nine-year-old Natalia, it seemed to me, would be a bright and cheery addition to any eager chorus line of fourth-graders. She was born with spina bifida, a severe disability where a spinal lesion prevented nerves from growing into her legs. This resulted in her having no feeling below the knees. After several operations on her feet, ankles, legs, and spine, with the help of leg braces, Natalia is able to get around for short distances without her wheelchair.
