The Birth of the Octopus

Welcome to The Adaptable Octopus, hosted by Blair Riggs. In this first episode, Blair shares her story of living with cerebral palsy (CP). She opens up about the challenges she’s faced and how she’s learned to adapt and embrace her unique path in life.Blair talks about why she started this podcast. She explains that although 1 million people in the U.S. have hemiplegia cerebral palsy, she doesn’t see herself as “different.” Instead, she’s learned to adapt, build resilience, and thrive. Blair also shares stories from her childhood, the lack of understanding about CP, and how she felt growing up with it. She wants to change the conversation about cerebral palsy by sharing real stories of resilience and growth.Key Moments:Why Start a Podcast? Blair explains what motivated her to create The Adaptable Octopus and why sharing stories is so important.Lack of Research & Knowledge: Blair talks about how little funding there is for cerebral palsy research, and how this lack of understanding affects people’s lives.Childhood Struggles: Blair shares memories from her childhood, including her mother’s attempts to “pray away” her CP and how CP was often treated like a secret no one talked about.Facing Abuse: Blair discusses the mental, physical, and emotional abuse she experienced, and highlights that 70% of people with disabilities face some form of abuse.Challenges of Parenting: Blair shares her experience as a single mother of a 14-year-old daughter with mental health struggles, and how the lack of understanding about disabilities has made her feel unheard.Therapy & Self-Discovery: After talking to a therapist, Blair joins a cerebral palsy support group, which helps her learn to accept and better understand herself.Finding Community: Blair talks about the wonderful people she’s met through support groups, especially Zachary Weekes, a CP advocate in Canada. She stresses the importance of community and learning how to adapt and thrive, even when life is tough.Join the Conversation:Blair invites you to share your own stories and join the conversation. This podcast is all about creating a community where people can find support and strength through resilience and adaptability.Next Episode Preview: In the next episode, Blair will share her birth story and the beginnings of her journey with cerebral palsy.Subscribe & Stay Connected:Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to The Adaptable Octopus on your favorite podcast platform (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.). If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review or share the podcast with someone who might benefit from the conversation. Your support helps grow this amazing community.Until next time, keep adapting, keep thriving, and take care!