Christy's Left Foot Sings

Sometimes, we need someone
to fight for us.

Christy Brown’s mum was a fighter. 

She had to be! 

She gave birth to 22 children – but only 13 survived. 

Christy Brown was one of them and arrived in the world on June 5^th 1932.  Christy had severe cerebral palsy – with doctors declaring him mentally defective and unable to contribute in any way to our world.  He was incapable of deliberate speech or movement.  ”He’s intellectually disabled”, the doctors said.

His mum was stubborn. 

She had to be – she had 13 Irish kids to keep in line!

Christy’s mum always talked to him...

After five years

and the constant bickering

that must come from 13 children,

Christy lashed out with his left foot

and grabbed a piece of chalk from his sister!

Christy and his mum

His mum grabbed the chance

and started to teach Christy

to read and write.  (With his left foot!  It was the only part of his body he could control!)

With his chalk,

Christy scribbled all over the floor...

his mum didn’t mind!

When he was 22,

Christy published his first book:

My Left Foot

It’s now a film.

My Left Foot later became a novel –

Down All The Days.

It was translated into 14 languages.

It became an international bestseller.

Christy then wrote a series of novels

and three collections of poetry.

That’s a lot of success

for a child abandoned

by the medical profession...

... but encouraged

and pushed by a brave mum.