A smile is worth a thousand words, and maybe more in her case! How else could I tell the story about eight-year-old (8 - 1/2 as she says) Rachel Caliguiri fighting Cerebral Palsy, without writing a word.

Photos by Bob Hammerstrom

People often ask me what I like to photograph. This is it folks! The joys and struggles of everyday life. I sat on the floor for more than a 1/2 hour occasionally taking pictures and watching this amazing young lady work so hard to do the simple physical movements we take for granted every day. She just kept on smiling while the physical therapists pushed her to do more. “Yes I can,” she said and began to walk up a few stairs. That may seem so simple, but Rachel could barely sit up straight just a short time ago.

“Look Rachel, everybody wants to help you,” one of the physical therapists said when the little girl dropped a brace she uses to support herself while walking. “You don’t need their help, do you?” the p.t. asked. Rachel has gained the self confidence to push herself. With a soft voice and shy demeanor, she whispered to me that she gets to go to Disney World when she can walk by herself. That just snapped the old tear maker.

I sat next to her showing her the photograph’s I’d taken in the back of my camera. More smiles. Her mother handed her a camera and she took a picture of me. Wow, it looked great. I turned around and the others with cameras in the room were photographing us. Those moments are what I live for.

Rachel smiled and gleamed at the new AmTrike tricycle that was given to her by an anonymous donor while at the Southern New Hampshire Pediatric Rehabilitation Center in Hudson, N.H., Tuesday, August 4, 2009.

There was barely a dry eye in the room as Rachel’s face lit up seeing the new bike. It was a surprise for the Merrimack third-grader. She had wanted a bike for a long time, but the family could not afford anything like this. She was riding in circles around the p.t. room by the time it was all through.

Rachel’s p.t.’s Tynna Owen, left, and JoAnn Moriarty-Baron were joking with her about babysitting, while talking about Owen, an expecting mother. The two have a very special relationship with their client.

Her left hand didn’t work either before p.t. started. Walking was out of the question her grandmother told me. I guess nobody told Rachel that! Keep on smiling Rachel!

Check out www.nashuatelegraph.com for a story about Rachel and a photo gallery full of pictures from the event.

-Bob Hammerstrom

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