Annabelle Unbroken

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about

My name is Annabelle I am in adult with special needs that loves Jesus, worship, life, traveling.

  • my caregivers are my parents, brother and what it means to me

    Having my parents, brother be my everyday caregivers will always be something I will never take for granted any day when I think of the three people that stand up tall everyday and put a smile on their face to show up and make sure I have everything I need its something I will never take for granted having to put my needs before there own is not easy smetimes but they show up everyday. when I hear the word caregivers I hear jon, christen amd jack my people, my family, my safe place, the reason I am still alive today.  they know me better than anyone else in this world and they arent just my caregivers. they’re my family, my support system , my safe place. They help me navigate life that might seem simple to people. But thats when christen and jon , jack come into place sometimes its a 5am wake up call to get to the hospial by 5:30 check in time to have surgery while they nevoursly wait in the waiting room while I am having a medical surgery done and they pacing the hall saying to each other you think she’s okay and I wonder how much long she will be in there for or every ding they hear on there phone they wait for the nurse to bring them back to sit in recovery with me. My mom has seen me at my strongest and on my hard days she’s helped me through every medical appintments shes set at my head through every medical test held my hand through every test, appt. Helped cope with this is just my life. she knows when something is off in my body before I even say something. my dad is the same way he can tell when something is off with me and I am so thankful to have loved ones that dont make me feel like a burden they make it feel like its teamwork caregiving for me some days are harder than others. having my brother step in also is a blessing also he’s apart of my every day life and my testimony. wheather hes making me laugh or simply being with me and checking on me. my parents, bro helping me is simply one part of our testimony. They dont just take care of me they help me experience life, they help me go places, they help me make memories. I notice that my momma has a ways of knowing what I Need before I even ask. she has spent countless moments making sure i’m okay, helping me throuh diffcult times in my life and  putting my needs before her own. my parents and brother have seen the hardest parts of my journey. They have seen my tears, frustration, my exhaustion, the uncertaintys of my testimony. but they see my happiness , my accomplisments that the docs said I would never do. my dad is always there also carrying the weight that having a specical needs brings the good, the joy and the sorrows along with my mom and brother. theres something so comforting when your family is your caregivers also. having a brother who is whilling to help care for me is something I dont take for granted. there are extra things they have to think about. I notice when my mom makes sure i am comfortable, i notice when my dad steps into help, I notice when my brother is there without even asking. most of all I notice they dont make me feel like a burden. its a gift i could never repay and theres my jess whos a friend thats like a sissy to me she knows me beyond my disabity, she knows my personality also, my sense of humor. she’s always making sure i am taking care of and she always lends a hand when its needed. and sometimes its simple looks like your okay you got it. my sis is not always my caregiver but I know i can lean on 24/7 she loves me and I love my dad, my momma, my jess more than words could say. I am blessed to have them walk beside me through my journey.

  • HOW MY BRAIN WORKS WITH BEING DISABLED


    I have been thinking about writing about this topic for a few weeks now because people sometimes just notice the wheelchair challenges that I deal with and think thats it but thats not all. I deal with brain differences from hydrocephalus  also which sometimes its hard to process things or emotions in my brain and body which I call spirals . Like sometimes I get really frustrated when I don’t understand what someone is saying to me and I have to slow down and take a min and rethink about what the person is saying to me. I have visual spatial issues which I don’t know when things are to close or far away from me thats why in a public setting I stay very close to who ever I am with or thats why I hold hands with whoever I am with while crossing the street so people will notice me crossing. I repeat what I say when telling someone something because of my hydrocephalus and I repeat things a lot because of this and I repeat music things so I can remember and I am very good at remembering lyrics and songs, I can hear the first few notes to a song and know whats about to be sang and remember when it came out. I struggle remembering peoples names and birthdays, I can remember my phone number [ sometimes] and I can remember sometimes my house address. I can remember peoples names that are very close to me but if I don’t see you on daily base I struggle with remembering who you are to me thats not because I don’t want to remember who you are to me its because my brain forgets. I struggle with remembering time so thats why I have to have someone with me but also for protections reasons and I struggle with numbers, sometimes telling time. you maybe wondering how hydrocephalus affects the brain so let me answer a couple of those question one thing it effects is Balance which means if I am not sitting in my wheelchair I feel like I am on a nonstop roller coaster until i sit in a chair that I feel steady in and safe in. you may also see someone always by me when I am not in my wheelchair holding my back they have to be there incase my back balance gives out to catch me so I don’t fall on the ground and hit my head or brake a bone. It effects my learning level which makes me read on a middle school level and it effects my memory to where I can only remember certain things but thats okay i am still perfect in the image of GOD. I get tired very quickly and I nap everyday depending on how I feel and depending on the activity for the day and it also effect my speech when I was a small child thats why I didn’t start talking until I was 3 years old but now I talk ALL THE TIME which is true blessing to my loved ones because I can tell them what I want, need, if I feel sick or not or if I am happy or sad about something. sometimes its hard for me to regulation my emotion but I have some tools to help me cope with them when I cant control myself its almost like a car that cant stop its brakes until the car in front goes than I can turn on my brakes to allow it to stop with my tools such as deep breathing, working out , worship music and talking my feelings over with my people. Hydrocephalus has been a part of my testimony since the day I was born and while people know it has ‘water on the brain’ for me and my family its more than just a term its shaped me for who i am today and its taught me how to be strong and trust Jesus in ways i never thought would be possible I mean in every medical and daily life I trust his plans are better than mine. I mean its the coolest thing when your mom says lets say prayer before rolling back and the nurses join their faith with yours and pray with your family before they take you back to the OR. my brain may work differently than other peoples BUT that does not mean it works less. and sometimes I need a few extra days to recovery from trips or being things that are going on, surgeries, ETC because of aso much exitctent can lead to tiredness and  theres sometimes when my body and brain remind me that hydrocephalus is a part of my testimony and thats OKAY. I love having simple reflections and reminders of why I AM ALIVE AND ROLLING and have air in my lungs. There are also milestones that doctors said she may never accomplish a lot of things doctors never knew were possible but I prove them wrong every time. Living with all my special needs as taught me how to advocate for myself and how to be happy to celebrate small wins even when people overlook them. How to keep moving forward  and its Taught me love and gratitude for the people that walk this journey with me  because Its not easy at times but if you know CHRISTEN AND JON AND JACK Hulgan you know they will push their limits to make sure i am happy and okay. i am grateful for my people in my corner because they take care of me in ways i am beyond grateful for. sometimes people see my diagnosis before they see me. but what i wish people would understand is that hydrocephalus is only a small portion of who i am . I have dreams and goals, love, worship and make memories just like everyone. My special needs may influence my life but let me tell you it does not define my worth. Theres moments of doctor appts, surgeries they have felt overstressed and challenges that tested my strength. Yet through it all I choose  to keep my faith strong and my eyes fixed on the one that wrote  my testimony.

  • what the bible says about special needs people

    I wanted to talk about how I feel about what the Bible says about special needs people because I think it’s important to have two views: one biblical and one not. We are all made in the image of God, reflecting His image, and it’s such a beautiful thing to be reminded of that daily. Let me tell you, my being disabled is no punishment, and it’s no accident and no sin. My friends and I with special needs have so many miracles. In figures like Paul in the Bible and Jesus, the Bible says He consistently treated people with special needs with respect, giving us a voice and a place in His community. If you see a person with special needs being mistreated, you should speak up and tell someone. I mean, I am completely verbal, so I have no problem telling someone they are hurting my feelings, but some people can’t, so we need to be their voice and do it for them. He says we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, and I am so proud to have special needs; I am so unashamed of it all. Jesus gave us a voice, so I choose to use it LOUD AND PROUD. I mean, King Saul was disabled in BOTH feet; I bet that’s scary, if I had to assume. I mean, I am disabled in both legs and can move them with my tummy muscles only, but that’s why I have my wheelchair to help me move. I wonder if they had wheelchairs back then. My special needs wheelchair does not negate God’s promises for my life; it makes them even stronger and even expands them to big hopes and promises. The promises Jesus gives are TRUE FOR EVERYONE, even people with wheelchairs and special needs; it’s true for everyone. I have had people push me out of my total comfort zone, for which I am so grateful, and I grew up knowing life wasn’t fair and I am okay with that. I choose to push you out of your comfort zone because my friends with special needs build bridges that you may never consider crossing. I will push past my limits to inspire those around me. I’m saying I’m not perfect; I have flaws, but I will never stop sharing what God has done in my life and pulled me through because it all shaped me into who I am today, and I am so blessed to be the strong person I am today. God calls us all to the table, no matter the sin we are sitting in, past, present, or future; we are all children of God, and He loves us all equally so much. In Jesus’s eyes, we are all beautiful and perfect. I will always reflect who God created me to be, and that’s strong, loving, and kind, to show people that the God who created me makes no mistakes. I am by all means not perfect; I mess up all the time and I am still trying to figure out life at the age of 22 years. I let Jesus control the wheel because He’s better at it than I am.

  • Inclusion when being in a wheelchair

    The Lord put it on my heart to discuss my thoughts about inclusion when it comes to being in a wheelchair full time, and how I feel about it. For me it includes simple actions for example -Hey I really wanna watch this movie with you, come over and lets grab dinner. You could just ask Let’s hang out and sit on my couch or I am really hungry for a burger lets meet up, or lets go shop and eat Mexican. or hey lets go grab coffee and read our bibles together or we really wanna see you at another event so come if you can. Those are some very small moments that make me feel loved, seen, and cared about. Yes being in a wheelchair can be hard and not easy at times but I am grateful for people around me that see past the wheelchair. My people see the real me! Yes it can be difficult when people don’t understand me or don’t get me at all but I always try my best to remind people he created me different. I am still gonna use the purpose that he gave me to live my life to the fullest.  The term “special needs” sometimes can be offensive so thats why people like the word disabled better. When you see me or my friends in a wheelchair treat it like personal space -more like a bubble I am very careful who I let into my wheelchair bubble.  Please never lean on my wheelchair unless I know you. I only let people that I know lean on my wheelchair because they ask before doing it. Please never touch my wheelchair or hug me unless I know you or you are my family or one of my friends. I only allow hugs from my friends or family, or if you know the person well and I kind of know them I will still allow you to hug me because I trust the person that I know really well and I am earning your trust. Speak directly to me if you want to talk to me when doing that means leaning down so I can lock eyes with what you are trying to tell me even if it takes my brain a minute to process. Now if we are sitting next to each other the leaning down does not matter that only matters if you are standing up so I can read your lips and process what you are telling me. ALWAYS ask me if you can help me before doing it because I am very independent and can do some things on my own. Also ask before assuming things about me and my wheelchair don’t assume my parents caused me to be in a wheelchair or I broke my foot just ask what my story is. When asked with respect, I will happily tell you about all the MIRACLES my God has performed in my life because I love talking about them. I will never stop. DON’T CALL ME WHEELCHAIR BOUND please do not use this term for anyone who uses a wheelchair. Don’t view my wheelchair like its a hinderance or annoyance. It is my personal space and part of my body, my legs on wheels. I truly love my wheelchair and feel it is a part of me.

  • Special things about Special needs

    Sometimes in public I feel invisible, and I feel like people don’t care or want to say hey. Luckily, I have amazing people in my life that make me feel seen, cared about, and loved. It’s almost like people think I am a shadow; sometimes people will bump into me and not even say “I’m sorry” or look back. People with special needs, we matter too; we are just like you. Even though we were made differently, we still exist in the world. What do we struggle with the most? I struggle with physical barriers, which means I need help with doing certain tasks. When you park in the ramp lines, think about me and my friends who use a wheelchair 24/7 because those are designed for us and our caregivers to safely exit our vans with our caregivers right there helping us. Think about us when you decide to run the stop sign and what that could do to us wheelchair users if we didn’t have our caregivers guiding us to cross the streets. The Bible tells us that Jesus gave people with special needs a voice to use. People like me and my friends with specials were called to demonstrate grace, love, and joy, which are the fruits of the Spirit. We are precious in His eyes, and I am going to throw out a personal thought on the table that I have been taught all my life, and I know this opinion is true because I have lived it out for 22 years and 365 days and seen it in my own life and own story. So here goes the personal opinion: people with special needs have a deeper, closer friendship with Jesus. I know some will disagree with me, but you don’t have to agree with everything I tell you because I have special needs. If you feel like you need to agree with everything a person with special needs says, I am the girl you don’t have to agree with everything I say. It won’t hurt my feelings if you disagree with me; I will still sleep like a baby whether you agree or disagree because I do not care what people think. I AM A survivor, and I am not lost; I am just exploring my life in a different way, in my own beautiful ways. And yes, I feel like a burden all the time with asking for help with different things in my life that I have a hard time doing or need extra help with, and yes, it comes with mood swings like an up and down roller coaster. One minute I can be so happy, and the next minute I can be losing my mind because I have a hard time processing things. Another way my brain works like a car that has no control, and then all of a sudden, once I find myself again, it’s like the brakes park and I am happy again and I can regulate myself.

  • 2025 recap

    2025 recap

    What a year to Remember 2026 was so fun and special I got baptized had my most special group of friends walk me down to say yes to Jesus public. I got on an airplane with a group of friends spent 3 days disconnected from the world and my phone in the presences of Jesus and sat in his presences near some waterfalls with some friends while people poured into our hearts and souls. came home to repack to fly to tacoma with my parents to see my brother, sis in law  and spent a whole week with them exploring and than came home to rest and than go to Nashville to have open bladder surgery and than came home to rest for 7 days than I went to see my pals in concert and I studied the entire bible with one of my very best friends and I started this blog which has been so fun and I cant wait share more of whats on my brain in the new year. looking forward to 2026

  • MUSIC ON MY MIND MONDAY

    MUSIC ON MY MIND MONDAY

    Today we will be talking about the song “One More Day” by Sons. The band I recently heard this song from got me thinking about my life and how Jesus has brought me through so much in my 22 years of life. Yes, my life can be hard and difficult sometimes, but I am SO grateful for all the hard times in my life because they shape me into who I am, and the hard times have pushed me to look at my life as a true testament to the faithfulness, kindness, and love of my Jesus. When I tell you I have seen Jesus in so many different aspects of my life, I have, and He’s not done writing this testimony for which He gets the praise. I am a fighter, and I am a story. I am all of these things, but mostly I am grateful to say, I LOVE YOU JESUS, THANK YOU JESUS. He’s given me 22 years and 365 days of the kindness and love of Him, and He shows up for me 24/7. I can’t wait for the rest of my life to see what Jesus has for me, and I am so thankful for my life, all the miracles, all the good times, and all the doctors, my people, and surgeries. He shows up 24/7, and I am just grateful to have breath in these lungs, even though the docs said she may not make it through birth. But I did, by the grace of Jesus and so many prayers. I am just grateful to be alive and to have such a beautiful life. Friends, don’t waste your life away because He’s given us one life. Cherish it and live it to the fullest.

  • MUSIC ON MY MIND MONDAY

    Today we will be talking about the song Better by Pat Barrett the lyrics that stand out are you are better than all theses things and your love is better than life and you are better than all theses things. your love is better than life. Jesus is the well that will never run dry. we are truly Gods people and its the spirit of God that leads our hearts to worship him and thank him for everything he’s doing in each of us and our life. Yes we should make the personal Decision to know him better and we should choose to obey him like he did when he died on the cross during his death. we should ask our hearts and mind theses questions 

    1, Why is knowing Jesus better than anything else? its because nothing else on earth compares to knowing Jesus christ as lord and savior

    2, How do I get know Jesus Better? read your bible, talk to him out loud or whisper

    I think we always think about how could or how should we better get to know Jesus more on a deeper level. Let me remind you, if you want to get to know Jesus better, just turn around; He’s right there with arms wide open for you, and He’s saying, “Be mine,” and He’s gonna walk with us through EVERYTHING. His love is so much better than anything you could ask for or think about. I hate when people say it’s a relationship; it’s more than that—it’s a friendship—and we would be lost without His steadfast love and guidance; I know I would. I can’t speak for the rest of you. I am not saying go make a decision right now to be transformed by the love and grace and have a friend to lean on.

  • MUSIC ON MY MONDAY

    Today will be talking about the song Miracle child by Brandon lake this song holds a very special place in my heart because I am a living testimony of the miracles that my Jesus can do because almost 22 years ago my parents got told I was not gonna make it through birth but by the grace and love of Jesus and my parents, and so many doctors, so many prayers I did and the doctors said if I did i was not gonna be able to do anything but by the grace of Jesus and the help of my parents, doctors I am about to celebrate 22 years and 365 days of those Miracles they said I was not gonna do because I LOVE PROVING THESES DOCS WRONG its one of my favorite thing to do. oh man I can’t wait to celebrate 22 years of ME doing the things that bring the biggest smile to my face with some of the folks that bring the joy to my face and make me feel so special every single day of my life. PARTY TIME food, music, shopping, my people starts October 29th ends when I say it does. I live on cloud 9 24/7 because CHRISTEN AND JON ARE MY PARENTS AND JACK HULGAN IS MY BROTHER, JESSICA OPPENHUIZEN IS MY ‘BIG SIS’ AND KATIE IS MY HONORARY SIS IN LAW.

    The joy of the Lord is my strength 

    I should not be alive 

    but i am a miracle child 

    Defied every Diagnoisis

    as close as it came

    I can stand here and say

    I am a miracle child

  • 33rd surgery 

    On Thursday I will be having my 33rd surgery in Nashville I always ask the question to myself WHY ME NOT ME I don’t wanna go to surgery its a waste my time and it causes a lot of built up stress in my mind and heart. But I always have to seat back and realize this is my Testimony and the writer of my testimony writes beautiful story’s and I would not be who I am if I did not  have to go through the rough patches of my life. I have people come up to me all the time and say oh your life must be hard since you go through so many hard things in life and people always tell me they feel bad for me for all the surgery’s and doctors appts. y’all Jesus  has been so good to me all my life and has brought me through the most rough times in my life and I would not trade any of it for anything else. I keep praying and he continues to listen and answer in ways I can’t explain. yeah it may look like on the outside I don’t worry about nothing and but you do not know I boil with stress when its surgery time you maybe asking yourself its her 33rd surgery why does she STILL stress about surgery. well my parents can only go past the white double doors with me and than they have to say goodbye until I get sent to recovery room and than they can come back to me. Yes I know I am in the best care with the best medical care in the world but it will NEVER change the fact I want them with me in there but thats just the OR rules. I wanna be completely honest with ya’ll when they say Annabelle give your parents kisses after they walk away I just feel so helpless and feel like I cant do anything but just cling to Jesus the entire time like a rope and that’s how I get through it all. When I wake up and I hear the nurse say hey we are calling momma  right now to start walking back here and I open my eyes and they are right in my face and I hear baby its momma and daddy everything went great. Its like hearing the voice of Jesus  say child you’re mine and you do not have to fear because I am here and I will walk with you and you are gonna be okay.  This is a part of my life and I love my life.