Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value  - Albert Einstein

I was born at 25 weeks premature in 1987. I weighed just under 600 grams and was approximately equal in size to the palm of a hand. As a consequence being born early, I had a bleed on the brain in the first 3 days of life causing a cerebral haemorrhage resulting in a permeant spinal drainage diversion by inserting a shunt to drain the excess fluid. This lead to cerebral palsy and being vision impaired as a consequence of the first few days of life. It was quite clear from the earliest possible age that I was going to be different.

During the time that I was growing up, I found it hard to come to terms with my disability. It was difficult to comprehend the magnitude of it and to accept the hand that I’d been dealt. But the values and beliefs that were instilled in me through my parents, Penny and Michael Levy, and peers, were vitally important. They got me to where I am today.

There have been some...