Chelsea Bear: Able and Amazing by Lana Engelhart
Cerebral Palsy, or “CP” as it is often called, is a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture. It affects people to varying degrees of severity. Enter Chelsea Bear—a young, confident, able-bodied woman living her best life (quarantine style, at press time!) in South Florida.
Chelsea is a breath of fresh air; she is a smart and talented woman who is happy to dispel outdated myths about people with disabilities. I was lucky enough to chat with Chelsea about her life and her message, and what she hopes to teach folks about living life with a disability.
There is plenty of teaching necessary. Many people assume that just because you have a disability you are somehow different, or part of some secret society.
Chelsea helps to break barriers and explain how while certain things might be a challenge, many things aren’t off the table.
Early Life and Diagnosis
“I grew up in Sunrise, Florida and went to college at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in communication with a specialization in public relations in 2015. I am an account manager at a public relations agency full time, and in my spare time in the evenings or on the weekends, I utilize social media to share my story of living with a disability,” Chelsea explains.
“My mom had a normal pregnancy, but on her due date, she had to have a c-section because of how I was positioned. Everything went well in my birth and I was a healthy baby. At around three months old, my mom started to realize that I wasn’t rolling over or sitting up by myself like the other babies were, so she brought me to the doctor to find out what was going on. After years of tests, X-rays, and MRI exams, I was diagnosed with CP at the age of three.”
CP, explains Chelsea, is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture and is the most common motor disability in childhood.
“Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles,” explains Chelsea.
The doctors could never pinpoint exactly how or why she had CP. There are quite a few variations of CP and the severity of each case varies from person to person, but Chelsea was diagnosed with “Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy.”
Give ‘Em A Smile
“My disability only affects my legs and the way I walk. Growing up, I used canes as a toddler and then from elementary school to high school I used a walker. I’d always use a wheelchair or scooter for long distances,” says Chelsea. “Today, I primarily walk independently and use my scooter for longer distances or events that I’d need to stand a lot.”
Growing up with a physical disability had its challenges, according to Chelsea, but her parents and family did a great job at empowering her to stick up for herself and to not let her disability hold her back from going after her dreams. “Ever since a young age, I remember thinking to myself: ‘People are going to stare at me no matter what because of how I walk, so I might as well smile at them.’”
Chelsea is super grateful to have had friends from such a young age who accepted her as she was…but as she got older and entered middle and high school, making new friends was sometimes a challenge.
“Other kids would leave me out of plans because I had to bring my walker along or they just assumed I didn’t want to do fun things because of my disability—but all I wanted was to be included. In those times when I was upset, my mom would always cheer me up to the best of her ability and remind me that if someone doesn’t want to be my friend because of how I walk, it’s that person’s loss and not mine. I would keep my head high and focus on things that brought me joy like being involved in student government or supporting my sister’s competitive dance career from backstage”
“I’ve always looked at the positive side of having a disability. I get to cut the lines at theme parks! I park up close at stores and venues! Most importantly, the challenges I’ve faced throughout my life have shaped me into who I am today. I genuinely feel like I’d be a completely different person if I didn’t go through everything I have so far and for that, I’ve always been grateful. When people ask me if there’s anything I would change about myself if I could, I always say: nothing!”
Awareness and Affirmations
Chelsea is a huge advocate on social media for education and helping others understand what it means to be disabled. Her message is to “treat others how you’d like to be treated.” One of the guiding messages of her platform is that she hopes for others to take time to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
“Having a disability can be isolating and hard to cope with, but having the support of the community around you can help so much. Having a disability means you’re forced to adapt and sometimes work extra hard to get the same outcome as someone without a disability. If I had one wish, I’d love for any teen reading this to be more open-minded and accepting of a fellow classmate who may be different from them. Be kind. Actions and how you make someone feel can stick with them for a lifetime, so it’s better to make a positive mark than a negative one.”
Chelsea shares this: “I still remember my best friend in middle school who stood up for me against a bully. In that moment, I realized I wasn’t alone and it made me feel good despite the negative experience I had with the bully. You never know the greater impact you have on someone else. Stand up for others who need support because you never know who else will follow in your footsteps.”
To others on Chelsea’s path in life, she urges you to stay strong and keep your head up!
“You offer a unique perspective on life that is so incredibly valuable. I was always shy and scared to use my voice, but once I started to stand up for myself and use my voice to express the things I needed help with or that I felt needed to change, I received so much support from others. Continue to be your own cheerleader and go after your dreams! Your disability may be a part of your life, but it doesn’t define you,” she says.
Rocking the “Gram” and Goals
Chelsea is still fairly new to working alongside the disabled community. Her journey may be in its beginning stages, but she’s proud of the message she’s been able to share on her social media platforms.
“I launched a blog a couple of years ago that I’d slowly post to, discussing my experiences of living with a disability. Once the pandemic struck, I started to dedicate more time to sharing my experiences on social media through videos and vulnerable posts. I started this to help my friends and family learn about my disability and never thought my platform would grow to what it is now. In just a couple of months, I went from 1,500 followers on Instagram to more that 70,000! It’s been an exciting experience and I’m looking forward to continuing these efforts.”
Chelsea strives to share genuine, authentic content and posts that inspire a comfortable space for productive conversations. “Topics about disabilities don’t need to be scary! My audience is extremely engaged, and my followers often express how they pay-it-forward or change how they interact with people with disabilities thanks to my content. I’m proud to offer my personal advice to parents of children with disabilities, adults with disabilities themselves and able-bodied people. Overall, the community I’ve built has helped people connect on a different level. Even for myself! I’ve met so many incredible people who I would’ve never met before opening up about my story publicly and it’s helped me relate in ways I wouldn’t be able to with people in my life who are able bodied,” she explains.
She is committed to sticking to her values and staying true, sharing vulnerable parts of her life in an effort to create a more inclusive future for the younger generations and essentially anyone with a disability or “difference.”
Chelsea would love to get involved in advocacy work to help create larger change for the disability community where it is needed the most.
Learn more about Chelsea: @RealChelseaBear on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Her website/blog is chelseabear.com.