My name is Laura, and I'm a Pennsylvania transplant from Virginia. I live with Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Bipolar I Disorder, chronic pain, and pre-Diabetes, but despite some dark times to the contrary, I'm gradually beginning to believe that I'm not my diagnoses. I live independently with help from a large network of family, friends, caregivers, and medical staff, including my emotional support guinea pig, Lila. I'm a convert to Catholicism and my faith is very important to me, but I have friends and caregivers of all different faith traditions, and I'm always anxious to learn about them. I love to spend time with family and friends when they come to visit, listening to music, reading and writing, taking classes and playing games to keep my brain sharp, watching animal cams, and spending time at our local zoo during the summer, when I'm allowed outside. My favorite holiday is Christmas!