In June 2020 The Music Man Project released a video for my new song 'Have You Ever Stopped to Think'. It featured beautiful photographs of our musicians as babies. In this series of blogs, I delve behind the pictures to reveal the stories behind the babies...
Here is Vanessa's story, told by her sister...
At 3 months old, Vanessa was found grey and frothing at the mouth. She was taken to hospital where the doctors told mum and dad that she had a blocked bowel and partly twisted intestine. Without an urgent operation she would die from starvation. But she could also die during the operation…
Due to lack of oxygen to the brain, Vanessa suffered a Stroke. This caused her right arm to bend at the elbow and her hand and fingers to turn inwards. Vanessa’s position in the womb had caused her right Achilles to not develop properly, so she cannot put her foot completely down. This all means that Vanessa has no feeling on the right side of her body and no muscle. She did not walk until she was just over 5.
Despite being told she would never be able to take care of herself, Vanessa has lived independently for the best part of 30 years. Vanessa continues to prove the doctors wrong in so many ways and I am extremely proud of her.
Watch Vanessa in 'Have You Ever Stopped to Think?'