9/6/2011:
Wow...I was pretty certain that there was no way that Icarus could become a bigger scumbag than he already was.
But last week, he had the NERVE, the AUDACITY, to accuse me of "faking" my disability. Words can't truly
describe just how disgusted I am by this. Icarus, you did exactly what I told you not to do in Michigan: you
underestimated me. So you lost, to me, Gregory Iron. Instead of coping with defeat and taking your loss like a man,
you decide to throw out insults and false accusations.
Now, Icky, I could easily write an entire page insulting you. I could talk about how beneficial it would be to
the vision of the CHIKARA fans if you decided to wrestle in your track jacket. I could ramble about how a
simple $3.99 investment in deodorant could not only make you feel and smell better, but it would make people
want to be near you for more than just 12 seconds (I may have heard some things.) With ease, I could come up
with a 500-word essay in which I could throw out theories as to what compelled you to get the single
worst back tattoo in the history of the universe. But I have had a few days to cool down, and I won't do that.
Instead, I am going to take this opportunity to educate people on something serious, that I have dealt with my
whole life - cerebral palsy.
Cerebral Palsy happens either before, during or after birth (this could mean up until age three),
when damage occurs to the developing motor skills of the brain. There are various types of cerebral palsy, but
every one of them results in limited movement in various limbs or body parts. The type of cerebral palsy
that I live with everyday is known as spastic hemiplegia. Spastic Hemiplegia affects one entire side of the
body. In my case, the damage in my brain is on the left side, which controls the right side of the body.
Therefore, it is evident on my right side, most significantly in my arm and hand.
Worldwide, 2 out of every 1,000 babies born have cerebral palsy. In the United States alone, 10,000 kids are
diagnosed with C.P. each year. Many times, signs of cerebral palsy (which can include gross motor development delay,
preferential use of a limb, seizures, among other signs) are not noticeable until around the six-to-nine-month old mark.
My C.P. was actually not discovered until almost ten months old. At the time, my Dad was laid off, so he
took care of me while my Mom worked. Dad began to notice that there was something wrong when he would take me out
of my crib to play. Surrounded by toys on a carpeted floor in my family's living room, I would keep my right arm
clenched, only grabbing the toys with my left arm. Realizing this wasn't normal, I was taken to a doctor, and
was diagnosed with C.P. soon after.
After being diagnosed, I spent the next seven years of my childhood going to physical therapy. During this time,
my therapist tried to teach me things that people sometimes take for granted, like how to walk up stairs, tie a
pair of shoes, or how to open and close my hand. Many times, these simple activities were difficult to perform.
Some things I realized I would never be able to do.
In the United States alone, an estimated 764,000 people live with cerebral palsy everyday. I realize some are far
worse off than myself. Some cannot walk without crutches...others have speech problems or learning disabilities...some
have had countless surgeries, or are bound to wheelchairs for life. Unfortunately, since cerebral palsy is a
disability that ultimately affects the brain, there is no known cure. So we all live with two choices: we either
get depressed or we get determined - and make the best out of what we were born with. Well, I chose to overcome.
In an effort to show that anybody with a disability can go as far as they want in life...as long as they are brave
enough to attempt to capture their dream to the best of their ability...I followed my dream and became a professional
wrestler.
So, Icarus, for you to insinuate that I would fabricate this disability I have coped with my whole life... It's
ridiculous. Not only are you
slapping me in the face, but you are insulting all the people stuggling to overcome C.P. by minimizing what it means.
We've dealt with things that you were fortunate enough to never have to experience in your life. There has been a quote that I
have been saying an awful lot lately: "Everybody might not understand wrestling. But everybody can understand
passion." Despite a disabilty beyond my control, I made the best of it. I am just as passionate about professional
wrestling as any other guy at CHIKARA, and you are going to find that out firsthand. "The Handicapped Hero" is
100% real. You need to face the reality that a man with C.P. beat you fair and square.
And in NYC, I'm going to do it again, just to shut you up.
GI
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