CPAM 2026 | Emily Hacker story

March marks Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, a time to raise understanding of cerebral palsy and its impact on everyday life. It is also an opportunity to highlight the vital work of Cerebral Palsy Cymru, supporting children and families across Wales with specialist therapy and care.  By increasing awareness, we can help build a more inclusive world and ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Emily is an artist and business owner living with cerebral palsy, having attended Cerebral Palsy Cymru as a child, she reflects on how early specialist support helped shape her journey, offering a powerful reminder of the lasting impact these services can have in helping children grow into confident, independent adults.

My name is am Emily, I am 24 and I have right sided hemiplegia.  I work as an illustrator and surface pattern designer, running my own business selling my designs on homeware and stationery products.  I love nature (it features a lot in my work!) and enjoy going to outdoor areas that are accessible.

Being seen as different is not easy, but it does not define me, instead I see it as an important part of who I am. I did feel different to others in my age group, although ultimately this made me determined to succeed and opened opportunities for me. As a junior, I was able to train with Paralympians through Disability Sport Wales. This helped me stand out in a positive way as well as being around others with similar disabilities. Being part of this gave me a sense of pride and achievement!

Going to University, graduating, and going on to run my own business is something I feel very proud of. It wasn’t easy but I had great support that helped me throughout.

The support I’ve received has been invaluable;  Cerebral Palsy Cymru, physiotherapy and occupational therapists, my parents and brother, and my grandparents. They gave me the support and encouragement to follow my dreams from a young age. I always wanted to run my own business and here I am!

I have always loved art since I was young, it was an activity that I could take part in independently. Whereas a lot of my friends were out riding a bike, I was more than happy painting. It was just a hobby, and I didn’t really enjoy art as a subject in school, but I loved home interior magazines and re-decorating my bedroom as much as I could. I then discovered textile design; it is a hybrid of everything I love - interiors and painting! I feel my most authentic self when designing, it has always given me an outlet. 

Those of us with cerebral palsy are very determined and will find ways to reach our individual goals. Find activities that you enjoy like I did, such as painting, and keep practising. Do not be afraid to try something new too, I liked sports and loved to hula hoop when I was young!

In the early days, it wasn’t clear how I would reach my full potential. I feel very lucky that I received great intervention at an early age, which gave me insight into cerebral palsy, as well as structure and clear goals.

This also helped my parents better understand cerebral palsy, with activities and exercises that I could do every day. These activities helped me become stronger and develop an independent mindset - no one could hold me back from what I wanted to achieve.

We also felt supported through the services, activities, and communication provided by Cerebral Palsy Cymru, and we still do. Returning always feels like visiting family.

I did face challenges, especially throughout school, being the first disabled student in my primary school and the second in my secondary school. However, overcoming these barriers helped the schools learn and made it a little easier for those who came after me.

I started visiting the centre when I was around 4 and my last visit was around 14, it was such an instrumental part of understanding my cerebral palsy. It was daunting at first, as when I was younger, we did not know what to expect, but everyone at the centre was so understanding of the condition and had a passion for seeing me thrive. We knew we were in good hands. They gave us the knowledge and tools to help me move forward. It was great to have the perspective of what I could do, as opposed to the focus of what I couldn’t do!  

I would like to share an extract from a Bobath report from 2011 – ‘Emily is a delightful 9-year-old girl who has a wonderful sense of humour and imagination, she participates in a wide range of activities and is a talented young artist, particularly enjoying drawing animals.’

 Thank you all for helping me to follow my dreams!

To find out more about Emily and her beautiful work, please visit: ://emilyhacker.co.uk/