Diego's Story: An Extraordinary Story of Willpower, Love and Life Across Two Continents - Softcover

Soto, Diego

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0091785545 ISBN 13: 9780091785543

Publisher: Vermilion, 1997

Synopsis

This autobiography tells of Diego Soto, a young Colombian boy crippled by spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive wasting disease. No longer able to move anything but his fingers, Diego - currently living in London - is determined to become a lawyer. Profits from this book will go to charity.

About this title

From the Author:

My first book DIEGO'S STORY describes my experiences in special schools as well as expressing my opinions and interpretations of the world, and in particular the way that the world and those in it affect the lives of disabled people.

Because of my physical weakness I was unable to keep notes or to access books easily (although literacy never presented any problems) so from an early age I had to rely on memory. When I first came to England as a child I spoke only Spanish but through my quick intelligence, and because I listen carefully and remember everything, I learned English very quickly.

Throughout my life I have developed a heightened awareness of other people, of the ways in which they interact with each other and with me. And, as a matter of routine, I must constantly analyse and evaluate my own situation so as to be able to plan ahead and communicate my needs and intentions to others.

Because of my physical disability my only way of asserting myself has been through my ability to argue my own case. My enjoyment of intellectual sparring led me to the company of my elders. In that sense, litigation has been my lifeblood. Spending my life in any other way is unthinkable. Pursuing a career at the Bar would, therefore, be for me the fine tuning of my life's work, much as a musician perfects his performance, or a physicist his depth of understanding. There is nothing else I would rather do.

From the Back Cover:

AGAINST ALL ODDS

This is the powerful and spirited story of one boy's sheer courage and determination to assert himself as a strong and intelligent individual in the face of a seriously disabling neuro-muscular condition. His life, as told to Jill Rutherford, his dedicated teacher of several years, is a portrait of two cultures, Colombian and British, and two worlds - the physically able and the physically handicapped.

Diego Soto was born in Colombia. Diagnosed at an early age as having spinal muscular atrophy, he is unable to move his body without assistance and can move only three of his fingers with accuracy. When he was eight years old his young and devoted mother agreed reluctantly that he should leave the love and comfort of his extended Colombian family to go to England for specialist treatment. Culture shock and fear followed in gruelling contrast, as he could speak no English and suffered in the hands of carers who understood little about his needs or disability.

His autobiography is a moving, positive and often funny account of a young man's struggle for personal success - against all odds. It offers a unique insight into how it feels to grow into manhood with a physical disability but an able mind, with desires and feelings influenced by two radically different cultures.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vermilion
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0091785545
• ISBN 13: 9780091785543
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160