MY LEFT FOOT: Overcoming Disability with Determination and Art

By: Marjorie Ann Sheena D. Macarayo, RN

“Go ahead, Christy. Make your mark.”

- Mrs. Brown, Christy Brown’s Mother -

My Left Foot begins with Christy Brown, who has cerebral palsy, being taken to a charity event

for his honor, where he meets his handler, a nurse named Mary Carr. She begins reading his

autobiography. Christy could neither walk nor talk during his youth, but still received love and support

from his family, especially his mother. One day, while Christy was still a young boy, he is the only person

home to see his mother have a stroke. Through his own herculean effort to go down the stairs and bang

the door, he is able to get the attention of some neighbors, who come to his mother's rescue. His father,

who had never really believed in Christy, becomes an avid supporter when, at some point, when he is

about ten, Christy uses his left foot (the only part of his body he can fully control) to write the letter 'a'

on a slate with a piece of yellow chalk.

Subsequently, Christy seeks a hobby in painting. He is included by the young people in his

neighborhood in their activities, such as playing street soccer and other outside activities. However,

when he paints a picture and gives it to a girl he likes, she returns it to him. His father loses his job and

the family faces exceptionally challenging hardships. Christy, to his mother’s dismay, devises a plan to

help his brothers steal coal during the winter since they were suffering from the cold. Christy’s elder

sister, who was always very nice to him, gets pregnant and has to get married and leave home. On a

positive note, Christy's mother, who had been gradually gathering some savings in a tin in the fireplace,

finally saves enough money to buy him a wheelchair.

Christy meets Dr. Eileen Cole, who takes him to her school for cerebral palsy patients and

persuades a friend of hers to hold an exhibition of his work. He did not like the school since most

patients were still children and he took it as an insult. Dr. Cole did not give up on him and instead went

to his house to personally work with his speech impediment. Christy falls in love with Dr. Cole, but in the

subsequent dinner, he learns she is engaged to be married and lashes out at Dr. Cole and her fiancé. As

a result, Christy considers suicide but fails in his attempt. He lost all motivation in continuing his work

and just stayed in his room. In order to help Christy get motivated again, his mother attempts to build

Christy his own private studio (which was consequently finished with the help of his father and his

brothers). Tragically, his father suddenly suffered from a stroke and died just a few days after finishing

his studio. During the wake, Christy instigates a brawl because of a customer’s insult to his father and his

family. At this point, Christy starts writing his autobiography, My Left Foot, with the help of his brother

who transcribes his words in a notebook. Dr. Cole eventually returns and they resume their friendship.

Meanwhile, at the fete, Christy asks Mary Carr to go out with him and they leave the fete together,

foregoing her previous date with another person to spend time with Christy.

At the onset of the film, it is easy to grasp that Christy has a great support system with his mother and siblings supporting him in adapting to his condition. Not only does he have a loving family, but his own sheer determination and creativity are the key factors in overcoming the challenge of suffering from cerebral palsy. Dr. Eileen Cole’s speech therapy with him was also important in establishing his ability to speak and communicate with others, using therapeutic techniques to improve Christy’s usage of his facial muscles to stimulate speaking. Although he and his family faced a myriad of challenges and tragedies, Christy eventually rose up to the challenge and had his work recognized, which helped his family out a lot in terms of finances.

Even though art therapy is not directly applied in Christy’s story, his motivation for doing art is similar to the essence of art therapy, which is to relax the mind and express oneself. If his situation was to be applied in modern times, he would have already undergone art therapy sessions inside a therapeutic institution with a professional health care worker. His development and success would have been faster and more far-reaching than before, since our current technology will give him ample ways on how to use various art mediums by utilizing assistive technology. He would have been a clear choice to be the spokesperson for all cerebral palsy patients who are suffering from the same, if not worse, fate as he is, providing inspirational speeches and statements regarding the current state of cerebral palsy patients everywhere.

Art is the ultimate universal medium in which everyone, regardless of health condition and status in life, has a chance to leave their mark in our society. Concurring with Christy’s mom, everyone should be given the opportunity to express themselves and leave a legacy in our world, and we should look into art therapy as a means of not only improving the health conditions of patients but also as an accessible medium where a patient can communicate his dreams and desires to the whole world!