News Staffer Miles Lawrence (left) hugs his brother, Charlie (right), on the steps of their childhood home in Athens in 2011. Miles and Charlie are fraternal twins, and although their relationship has been slightly constrained, Miles would never wish to change it. “Although our relationship is not like that of twins in movies, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Lawrence said. Photo courtesy of Vanessa Lawrence
News Staffer Miles Lawrence reflects on his experience being the twin brother of someone diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and how that diagnosis has impacted his life.
Ever since I entered the world on Dec. 17, 2006, I have been accompanied by what society often calls a “built-in best friend.” However, despite being twins, my brother Charlie and I have walked extremely different paths of life ever since we were born.
These contrasting lifestyles are caused by his early diagnosis with Cerebral Palsy (CP), a congenital movement and muscle tone disorder which is caused by a lack of oxygen to a certain part of the brain. In Charlie’s case, this lack of oxygen affected his mobility.
Because of his impairment, Charlie has struggled with walking all his life. While I was able to start walking at 13 months old, Charlie was not able to until we were four years old. Even then, he had to use a walker for support.
Whether I was sitting at the dining room table and Charlie was confined to an adaptive seating device, or playing on the playground and watching Charlie sit at a picnic table, the subconscious stress of his CP has always dwelled in my mind.
Whether I was sitting at the dining room table and Charlie was confined to an adaptive seating device, or playing on the playground and watching Charlie sit at a picnic table, the subconscious stress of his CP has always dwelled in my mind.
Worries about him being excluded and having negative social interactions have flooded my brain ever since I could understand what CP meant, which has constantly left me in a state of helplessness.
Strangely though, Charlie’s disability has also benefited my life. Altering my own lifestyle to accommodate his needs has forced me to grow compassion, patience and sympathy– qualities I feel have made me a more well-rounded individual.
News Staffer Miles Lawrence’s twin brother Charlie Lawrence poses for a photo on the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) track during Chase Street Elementary School’s annual track and field day in 2015. Miles has observed Charlie’s battle with adversity since the two were born, so seeing him succeed has made him overjoyed. “Having the opportunity to watch him grow and succeed at the things he’s passionate about has been extremely rewarding and gratifying, and has made me immensely proud,” Miles said. Photo courtesy of Vanessa Lawrence
Although our relationship is not like that of twins in movies, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Having the opportunity to watch Charlie grow and succeed at the things he’s passionate about has been extremely rewarding and gratifying, and has made me immensely proud.
Even though his CP has presented me and my family with unique challenges, I couldn’t be more proud of my title as Charlie’s twin brother.
