One September day in 1955, Rita’s life changed forever when polio struck her family. She was five years old. Rita became totally paralysed; her brother was partially affected, and she lost her mother to the virus.The hospital became her home, and the ward sister her mother. Hospital life was harsh in the 1950s: crying was a punishable offence and meant solitary confinement. Rita struggled to walk again using leg callipers and a spinal brace, and later became mobile with the use of a wheelchair.Finally, she had to learn to live with her own family again, and with a new mother that she didn’t know. She tried to fit in, often feeling trapped at home while the family led busy lives.After a time at boarding school, Rita changed; she became positive, and strove to become fully independent. She went on to travel abroad extensively with her wheelchair.This book is about Rita’s early life and how she achieved her dreams.