How Emma Is Using Her Positivity and Success to Help Others
Vivacious and engaging singer-songwriter Emma Cooper-Williams is hoping to enrich the lives of other thanks to her selfless work.
Not only an accomplished musician, the Auckland teen has taken on a range of leadership positions and is hoping to inspire the next generation to follow in her footsteps and “turn obstacles into opportunities”.
Emma was born with a mild form of cerebral palsy and as a baby underwent two brain surgeries after suffering a haemorrhage. More recently, she’s become a wheelchair-user because of Complex Regional Pain syndrome. But she defies her disabilities to thrive as a successful young woman who is determined to make a difference.
Bullied at school, Emma found her formative years difficult as she struggled fit in.
“I felt different and I maybe took a little longer to develop socially,” she recalls.
“I remember one particular incident when I scraped the whole of one side of my body after an older boy pushed me to the concrete at intermediate school. I was very upset when he denied pushing me and just said I had fallen over, which I often did because of my cerebral palsy.”
Liberation eventually came for Emma came through her passion for music. A member of the primary school choir, she sang solos and later played the guitar, banjo, drums and keyboard.
Denne historien er fra August 6, 2018-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra August 6, 2018-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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