"If I Could Walk Like You" – A Child’s Voice

I watch the world from the edge of the playground, my hands gripping the railing, my legs trembling even to stand. The wind brushes past me, carrying the laughter of children who run freely, their shoes thudding against the pavement, their hearts unafraid. I close my eyes and imagine it, just for a moment about feeling the ground beneath my feet, running, jumping, spinning… without thinking twice.

But when I open them, I’m reminded. My legs don’t always obey. My body reminds me, every day, that I cannot run like them. Not yet. Not now.

People often tell me to be patient, to be grateful for what I can do. But how can I be grateful when every morning, I watch what seems like magic slipping past me and the simple joy of walking freely, of climbing a tree, of racing with the wind?

I know there are efforts to protect children from polio, to make sure no one else has to live the way I do. Campaigns happen, vaccines are given, voices are raised. And yet… I wish more people would take it seriously. Not just for me, not just for today, but for all the children who will come after me.

It would be wonderful if everyone cared, not because it’s their personal responsibility, but because it’s a responsibility to each other. If humans are not available for humans, then who will be? If we don’t act now, who will run, jump, and play freely tomorrow?

And maybe, just maybe, if people took a moment to look around and appreciate what they have like their steps, their laughter, their freedom to be honest the world would be a little brighter. A little kinder. A little more alive.

Maybe one day, I’ll run too — not just in my dreams, but for real. Until then, I watch, I hope, and I dream that everyone can be a little happier for the blessings they already have.

Written in support of World Polio Day — 24th October 2025