Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth

Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth — page 9
about how she’d reach the stage on time Daphne was euphoric She squeezed through the crowd and cheered She smiled at strangers and waved to babies in strollers Daphne absorbed the energy all around her She basked in the chaos People with disabilities are really affected by climate change Daphne said that day during one of her news interviews We don’t have the privilege to be able to up and leave when a natural disaster occurs Daphne was born in West Harlem and doctors told her mom that her baby might not survive That’s because Daphne came into the world when she was only 27 weeks old weighing just over a pound That’s the same weight as only two oranges I was a tiny little thing so I was in the hospital for three months Daphne says My mom tells me stories about doctors needing to use their face masks for my diapers I only had a 25 percent chance of survival they said When Daphne was three years old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy CP the most common physical disability in childhood which affects kids movement muscle tone or posture Every hour a baby is born with CP and there’s currently no known cure When Daphne was a baby doctors were not sure if she’d ever walk but she sure could talk Ever since she said her first words Daphne has been asking questions and speaking up In her last year of preschool Daphne was determined to walk Without telling her mom Daphne’s teachers practiced with her every day preparing for her graduation The day came and I was so excited Daphne says I stood up and walked I did it My mom started bawling she adds Daphne has always been very determined her mom Josie says Daphne’s parents are from the Dominican Republic so she and her sister and brother grew up speaking Spanish at home Daphne learned English in public school in New York City where she went until third grade That year Daphne had an accident that fractured her knee I was in a cast 2 GIRL WARRIORS