MY LEFT FOOT by Christy Brown

(El llibre està escrit en primera persona)

CHAPTER 1: THE LETTER “A”

He was born in 1932. His birth was very difficult: mother and son
almost died. After his birth, his mother was sent to recuperate for
some weeks and the baby was kept in the hospital.

It was his mother who saw that there was something wrong with the
baby. His head had a habit of falling backwards. His parents decided
to visit doctors. Everybody said it was a hopeless case. They
assured that nothing could be done for him.
His mother refused to accept that there wasn’t a cure and no hope
for his baby. She wanted to treat Christy the same as the others.
She loved him. That is why she was so successful.

Four years passed, and Christy couldn’t speak, sit without support
and speak. His other tried to teach Christy but he had no apparent
interest in anything.

When Christy was five, everything was changed. It was a cold

December afternoon. Inside, all the family was gathered round the
kitchen. Some of Christy’s brothers were writing down on an old
slate with yellow chalk. Christy was very attracted by the chalk.
Surprisingly, Christy wanted to do, what his brother were doing. So,
he took a piece of chalk with his left foot. Everybody was looking at
me. Christy didn’t know what to do. So, his mother taught him. She
drew the letter A on the floor with a piece of chalk. Christy tried to
write, but the chalks broke. Mother encouraged him to try again. He
did, and he achieved to write the letter A. Christy couldn’t speak with
his lips. But now, he would speak with written words.

CHAPTER 2: M-O-T-H-E-R
His mother started to teach Christy the whole alphabet. She was
determined to help Christy to communicate through the written word.
The first thing he learned to write was his initials: C.B. Afterwards
(he was nearby 6) he learned to write his full name, but he wanted to
do something else. Christy watched and listened his mother
attentively when she taught him.
He learned the alphabet and after a while, he began to know how to
put words together and form sentences. But it wasn’t as easy or as
simple as it sounds. Mother had many other children to care for.
Fortunately, she had a good helper in his sister Lily. She busied
herself looking after the others so that mother could spend more
time with Christy.

Christy was seven. He couldn’t speak, but now he had a strange

sort of language which the family understood more or less. His left
foot was his mean of communication.
Now, he was able to sit up alone and crawl about (arrossegar-se)
from place to place.
Christy’s mother knew that it was impossible for him to go to school
like the others. She feared that Christy would grow up to be illiterate
(analfabet). She wanted to make Christy equal with his sisters and
brothers, but she hadn’t much time to do this daily. When mother
was busy, Christy worked by himself. He learned to write with a
pencil: he used to spell out the names of the objects around him. He
was very proud of himself.

One day, he saw a word in one of his brother’s schoolbook. He

wanted to write it down. Christy tried to write it, and when mother
came, she smiled: the new word was MOTHER.

CHAPTER 3: HOME
Christy was seven and he began to play with other children with the
help of his brothers. They took him with an old go-cart (cotxet) which
they called “chariot”.
Christy had improved so much: he could sit up in the cart without
having any pillows behind his back to support him.
His brothers made food contest at home (who eat more bread and
butter without bursting). He couldn’t feed himself (alimentar-se) but
his parents did. His father was a bit tired and he left the house
saying: “I’ll be back when they are all in bed” (tornaré quan estiguin
tots al llit).

Once, at Halloween, Christy was eight. They invited some friends to

have a little party while parents were out. They played hide and
seek. One of the girls (Sally) wanted to hide (es volia amagar) into a
bath, on a corner in the kitchen. Christy hid next to the bath, but
Sally didn’t see him. She hid into the bath, and suddenly, another
boy (Charlie) hid there, too. They were in love, and they kissed.
Christy didn’t like the situation so he decided to act: with his
forehead he opened one of the taps: the water was running into the
bath and Sally and Charlie were wet. They never came to Christy’s
house after that.
CHAPTER 4: HENRY
Christy was eight. Everybody joked about his old go-cart, but for
Christy it was very important: he called it Henry. Thanks to Henry,
Christy could go out into the streets.

Christy went to the cinema every weekend with his brother Jim. He
went there on the back of his older brother. People looked at them,
but Jim said: “Get lost” (pierdete!). One day when they were at a
movie, some of his friends tried to get Christy to smoke. But when
they gave him the cigarette, Christy started to eat it. They didn’t give
him anymore.

Summer came and his brothers took Christy for walks in Dublin (lay
on the grass in a park, light a fire and make tea, telling stories, …).
People looked at Christy but he didn’t care. He was happy.

One day, Christy (with some of this brothers and friends) went in a
trip into the country beyond Dublin. They took sandwiches and milk.
One of the friends wanted to milk a cow (munyir una vaca). He tried
and the cow kicked him. In the evening, they were returning home
but they were hungry. They hadn’t got any food left. By the way, they
see a house with some fruit trees. They decided to catch some
pears and apples. Suddenly, they heard some footsteps. It was a
policeman (a cooper). They couldn’t escape and left Christy there.
So, they decided to hide the fruit under Christy’s cushion in the
old-cart. The policeman left, but the fruit was crushed (aplastada).
They returned home very tired and hungry. They couldn’t eat the
fruit.

One day, the go-cart broke down. Christy was lost without it. They
brothers couldn’t take him when they went out to play. His mother
said that they would get another cart when the father went back to
work. Everything was changed.

A few days later, Christy was playing in the garden. Suddenly, some
friends arrived and proposed to Christy’s brother to go fishing. It was
the first time that they left without Christy.
CHAPTER 5: KATRIONA DELAHUNT
Christy was ten. He couldn’t walk, speak, feed or dress himself.
Christy began to realize that he was different from others. He hated
mirrors. His mother noticed the change in Christy. He was always
sad.

At Christmas, Christy got a box of toy soldiers, but when he saw one
of his sisters’ paints, he get angry and jealous.

One day, he was in the kitchen with his mother. He took the box of
paints and started to paint with his left foot. He did very well. He
discovered another way to communicate with others, a new way to
talk with his left foot. His mother bought more paints, brushes,
drawing books and a pencil. He was painting all the time by himself.
He began to feel better.

Christy’s mother gave birth to her last child (twenty-two children) and
became very ill. She stayed in the hospital, and Christy was very
sad without his mother at home. He didn’t paint because he thought
that his mother seemed to go dead.
One day, a woman arrived at home. She was Miss Delahunt. She
was a student social worked from the hospital. His mother had told
her about Christy. She helped Christy to write a letter for her mother.
Next time that Miss Delahunt visited Christy, there was a big
surprise: his mother was improving and would be home soon. Since
then, Miss Delahunt was a good help for Christy.

CHAPTER 6: THE ARTIST

Although at first Christy was confused when Miss Delahunt came to
visit him, he gradually liked her. He had a new friend. He started to
paint and he was happy again. He was happy to paint but also to
please someone else: his lovely dream girl- Miss Delahunt. She
made Christy feel important and useful.
One day, Christy saw an announcement on a newspaper (Sunday
Independent) of a Christmas painting competition from children from
12 to 16. Christy was 12, so he could enter.
His mother was at home and he showed her the news about the
competition.
He had to draw a gay ballroom scene and Cinderella dancing with
the Prince Charming in the middle of the floor, surrounded by other
dancers, all in elegant clothes.

Miss Delahunt and mother encouraged him to enter to the

competition. The following Friday, a reporter and a photographer
come to Christy’s house. Miss Delahunt explained to the newspaper
that the painting was done by a boy who painted with his toes.
When the two press men entered to the kitchen, Christy was
painting. They asked mother some questions about Christy and took
him some photos, with a paintbrush between his toes.
The next Sunday, on the centre page of the newspaper there was
the photo of Christy. His mother and Miss Delahunt kissed Christy.
They were very proud of him.

CHAPTER 7: THE PRISON WALLS

Christy had grown and he was conscious about his situation.
Everyone had something to do. He had only his left foot. Katriona
Delahunt was a great help for him.

When Christy was 16, he was angry with the world. Everybody said
it was marvellous to paint with toes, but Christy just wanted to be
normal. He never used his left foot in the presence of anybody.
One day, he had an idea: he decided to write stories. He wasn’t
happy but he was occupied.

When he was 17, Christy wanted friends, people of his own age to
go about with. One day, a calamity happened: Katriona had an
engagement ring on her finger. Christy was sad. She said to him that
she would still come to see him after she was married.
Katriona married some months later (she was now, Mrs. Maguire).
Christy went to the wedding with his mother (with a wheelchair).

CHAPTER 8: THE HOUSE THAT MOTHER BUILT

Christy felt very lonely. Mrs. Maguire gave him a lot of books. He
spent a lot of time reading. His mother saw that he was very sad.
One day, a doctor comes to Christy’s house. He was a doctor who
had seen him before as a baby (Doctor Collins). He said that there
was a new treatment for cerebral palsy (paràlisi cerebral). Christy
accepted to prove it. An assistant would come to examine Christy
and gave him a treatment especially for him. All the family was
excited. Christy could be cured!

Next day, a doctor came to examine Christy (Louis Warnants). The

treatment consisted in physical exercises which he could do himself
at home with a little help of his family, if he wanted. Dr. Warnants
came every Sunday. Christy made his exercise in the kitchen, but it
was too small. So, mother had got an idea: they could build a
special house in the garden. They had some economic problem, and
mother had to work hard to achieve the money. Then, his mother
built herself Christy house. His father didn’t help her. Slowly, the
place began to take shape. It was a sort of gymnasium, where Dr.
Warnants could treat Christy. However, Christy slowly converted it
into his living-room, study, …

Then, one day Dr. Collins came and told Christy that he had decided
to send him to London to see his sister-in-law, Mrs. Eirene Collins.
She was a specialist in cerebral palsy. So, Christy and his mother
went to London to see that doctor.
CHAPTER 9: FLYING VISIT
It was January 1949, the start of a new year. Christy’s life was
changed. Christy and his mother went to see Mrs. Collins in
Midddlesex Hospital. Doctor Warnants was also there to help them.

Christy was 18. Mrs. Collins asked Christy some questions. His
mother wanted to answer them, but the doctor said that Christy had
to tell himself. There was also another doctor, Mr. Gallagher. They
examined Christy. When the examination was over, Mrs. Collins
confirmed that Christy could be cured if he was prepared to work
very hard. It would be a big sacrifice: he must never use his left foot
again.
It would be a problem: his left foot had been the only way of
communicating with the outside world. Christy was scared but he
accepted. Mrs Collins explained that using his left foot was good for
him mentally but bad for him physically.

So, Christy started a new life. They returned to Dublin. It had

recently opened a cerebral palsy clinic in Dublin and he would
attend on the following Monday. Dr. Collin would help him.

CHAPTER 10: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Christy was very excited. He went to the new clinic for the first time.
Dr. Warnants went with him. When they arrived, there were a lot of
young children crying and shouting. It was awful. Christy, Dr
Warnants and Mr. Gallagher were the only adults. That day, there
was no treatment. Christy had just to watch and relax. Christy began
to feel a link with those children: he was not the only that was shut
behind prison bars.

After about a week at the clinic, Christy was initiated into the
treatment. Christy hoped to get a job in the future.

CHAPTER 11: THE PEN

The experiences at the clinic and the effects it had upon Christy
filled his mind. He wanted desperately to say something, but he
couldn’t use his left foot.
So, he had an idea: Christy asked one of his younger brothers
(Eamonn) to write a letter for him. Christy helped his brother with his
homework, and after that, he told his brother that he wanted that he
wrote his life story (an autobiography). Christy was 18.
While writing the autobiography, Christy felt irritable because he
couldn’t write as well as he wished. So, he decided to ask for help to
Doctor Collins. The book that Christy was writing with his brother
was awful. Doctor Collins gave Christy some books to show him
how to write good English.

Writing his autobiography wouldn’t be an easy task, but what was

important that Christy wanted to do it! Doctor Collins gave Christy
some advices to write.

CHAPTER 12: PRIDE, NOT PITY

The clinic was becoming to be overcrowded (que hi havia massa
gent), so it was going to move to another part of the city, to a bigger
place. Doctor Warnants and Mr. Gallagher went to work to Canada.

The clinic was called Bull Alley Street. There were three rooms:
1. Treatment room: where children receive their exercises.
2. Schoolroom: the children who have never been able to attend
normal schools because of their “differences” are given an
ordinary primary education under a qualified teacher.
3. Playroom: Here the word play has a double meaning: children
are taught to develop proper hand and foot movements and to
correct wrong ones. While children are running happily, they
are constantly being observed.

Bernie was one of the first patients at the clinic. She was only two
years when she arrived. She improved a lot, and worked very hard.
Her greatest rival was Dorothy. They tried to do better than the other
at exercise. Dorothy was one of the worst cases to arrive at the
clinic, but she has improved so much.

Christy has also improved quite a lot within the last two years at the
clinic. He had be taught to relax (relax mind, muscles). Christy found
it very difficult. His new doctor was Mary O’Donnell and his
physiotherapist, Miss Barbara Allen.
Christy was learning to walk with special skis and make more use of
his hands. He spoke more and grunted less (this is due to the
therapist Dr. Patricia Sheehan).
Christy had to learn how to breathe properly and deeply. He had to
articulate words slowly and change his attitude. He had to win
self-confidence.
All the specialists were doing a great job. They used the spirit of
pride, not pity.

CHAPTER 13: CLICHES AND EDUCATION

Christy was 20. He was learning how to write with Doctor Collins,
who was very patient with Christy and believed in him.
He started writing his second version of his autobiography. Now, he
had the help of another brother (Francis). They were doing a better
job but not enough. Doctor Collins wanted to find a private tutor for
Christy to improve his education. Katriona helped the doctor to find a
tutor, and he lived closed to Christy’s house (Mr. Guthrie). The tutor
came twice a week. Firstly, Christy didn’t feel comfortable but he
accustomed to each other.

Christy was jealous of his brothers: he wanted to do the same as

normal boys did. So, he was angry and began to write again with his
left foot. Suddenly, Doctor Collins appeared. He said to him not to
use the left foot except when he must.

CHAPTER 14: RED ROSES FOR HER

The Burl Ives concerts took place in Dublin. It was an exciting day
for Christy. Dr Collins adopted an ill boy, who needed a big
operation. Burl Ives, an important actor and singer, took a great
interest in this young boy. So, since then, this singer celebrated a
concert for cerebral palsy. Doctor Collins would read the story of
Christy during this concert. All the family went to the concert.
Burl Ives began to sing. There were important people in the concert:
the president of the Ireland-America Society.
The, doctor Collins read Christy’s chapter. There was complete
silence in the big hall. Suddenly, some people of the public gave a
bouquet of red roses to Christy’s mother. Then, Burl Ives began to
sing again.