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SEPTEMBER 2026 THE REVIEW | 13 FEATURE who stepped in a lot, especially with bathing and some of the more physical tasks as Callan grew older and was on the move. “One thing I wish I had known earlier was that it was okay to adapt parenting in ways that worked for me and that asking for support did not make me any less capable as a mother,” Tiresa says. “Support made it possible for me to parent confidently and safely, while still being fully present in my son’s life.” One of the hardest things about being a parent with CP came later in life for the Christchurch resident as her mobility gradually declined and she had to rely on Callan more for support. “That was also when he truly began to understand the extent of my disability,” she says. “Without hesitation, he stepped into the role of becoming my full-time carer. “As a mother, that role reversal was emotionally difficult at times. I always wanted him to fully experience life first - to explore the world, build his future and enjoy being young. But his love, loyalty and willingness to support me never wavered.” Both Kris and Tiresa agree that their children have learnt a lot from being the child of someone with a disability. “Caleb is comfortable assisting anyone who needs help,” Kris says. “If anyone at school needs help carrying anything, opening doors, with their Above, top to bottom: Tiresa is grateful for her mum’s support when Callan was a toddler on the move. “Without hesitation” Callan stepped in as Tiresa’s full-time carer. “A key learning was to accept my limitations and work around them,” Kris says. Tiresa, mum to Callan, 27, says parenting was “mostly easy” until she reached her 40s and the physical impact of CP became more noticeable. “My mobility gradually declined, fatigue became harder to manage and everyday tasks started taking more out of me physically than they used to. “Even with those challenges, I remained very involved in my son’s life and upbringing. I think living with CP taught me resilience, problem-solving and adaptability - qualities that also shaped the way I parented.” Tiresa, who is GMFCS 3, says there was not much information available to her about being pregnant or parenting when you live with a disability. “A lot of what I learnt came through lived experience, adapting along the way and figuring out practical solutions that worked for me as a mum.” English is a second language for Tiresa and she says looking back on her experiences highlights the fact that “language barriers, access to information and how many disabled parents simply had to ‘work it out’ without tailored support” often gets overlooked. Tiresa says while she did not have a lot of formal information, she was very well supported by her GP, midwife and her “biggest support” – her mum, “One thing I wish I had known earlier was that it was okay to adapt parenting in ways that worked for me,” Tiresa says. shoes, he’s there. He is patient, accepting of others and just very ‘can do’. It’s great to see.” Tiresa says from a young age, Callan learned compassion and understanding and how to adapt to different situations naturally. “Disability was never something unusual in our home - it was simply part of our everyday life.” * You can read more insights from Kris and Tiresa on our website. Kris’s story: www.tinyurl.com/32xrs9jk Tiresa’s story: www.tinyurl.com/2h5t9a3u * Kris is the host of The Cerebral Palsy Podcast. You can listen here www.tinyurl.com/4dkwaa5s