Meet Photographer Anthony LaGorga

DAO: Tell us about yourself and your case of CP

AG: I was born with a cleft lip and cerebral palsy. It effects body movement, muscle coordination and is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the brain. It effects me most in that it's hard for me to be on my feet for more then ten minutes at a time but it's also hard for me to sit down for longer then twenty minutes. Because of that I always have to keeping switching it up. Fortunately, I have a real minor case (of CP) but its still a huge thing in my life.

AG: It started when I was five years old and I had my back operated on. Basically, they cut my muscles in my back and lengthened them. I pretty much lived at the children's hospital for a while. I used to get Botox shot into my ankles then they would cast both of my legs to help get my ankles straight. I had my Achilles tendons cut and lengthened also. Even though I was in a wheel chair when I had to have my legs cast I was still at the dirt bike races every weekend cheering on my brother and his friends who had a race team. 

DAO: What about later on as you grew up?

AG: Fast forward to 7th grade, I started wrestling for my school. I wasn't any good by any means but it kept me active and I loved that i was finally apart of a team sport. Skip to 9th grade, I was friends with everyone in the school, nobody bullied me or anything like it should be. Then I developed really bad anxiety before school. I couldn't even pay attention in class, it go so bad that before I would leave for school I would throw up, once I got there I would sweat really bad and not be able to breath. So, my parents pulled me out of school completely. We tried having the teacher come to my house and I was doing well with that for a little while. Then my parents and the school decided it was time for me to come back regardless that I really wasn't ready. Still, I couldn't handle it and the anxiety was still there so I eventually dropped out with plans of getting my GED. 

DAO: How has CP effected your relationships with people?

AG: About a year after dropping out all my friends from high school slowly drifted away from me and I started to find out that people were talking shit, saying I'm not gonna do anything with my life because I dropped out and that I use my disability to try to make people feel bad for me. Blah blah blah. Since then I have found all my friends I have now and I honestly couldn't be happier with them. They have supported me and helped me so much and I truly can't say thank you all enough.

DAO: How did you get into photography?