Things are looking up for writer Patrick

He now has a PA and is building up a list of speaking events to promote his work, while continuing to build his property portfolio.

Patrick, of Emerald Quay, Shoreham Beach, has had to adapt due to his cerebral palsy but nothing can stop him in his bid to spread the word that anything is possible.

He said: “I have never worked so hard as I have done in the last seven years and I am very proud of what I have achieved. It continues to be a great journey and I cannot fail because I will never give up.

“Part of my journey includes property investment and finding rent-to-rent properties. When Maggie and I visited estate agents in Shoreham a few weeks ago, as I walked into one, I didn’t realise that the chair I was about to sit on had wheels and I nearly fell on to the floor.

“Whilst I saw the funny side of this, it startled the estate agent. However, it hasn’t put me off going to see agents.”

Over the last three months, Patrick and Maggie have contacted numerous organisations in an attempt to arrange speaking events, where he can tell people about his books and his life.

“The general feedback is ‘Who is Patrick Souiljaert?’ but having said that, we have been successful in arranging a meeting and attending training in London with Kaleidoscope Investments, which could lead to a successful relationship and speaking opportunities,” explained Patrick.

“My plan over the next six months is to promote my new book on social media by providing extracts of the book and making videos.”

Patrick was deprived of oxygen for the first four minutes of his life, which led to his cerebral palsy.

He wrote his first book, Stairs For Breakfast, in 2014. It took a while for it to be edited and it was published in May 2015.

The book is an inspiring memoir, offering a humorous look at the challenges he has faced in the hopes of inspiring others to overcome adversity, develop self-belief and move forward with determination.

The second book, Screw it, I’ll Take the Elevator!, is already on the way and has been through the first stage of the editing process.

Patrick said: “I am proud to announce that we have set up a Crowdfunder page in order to cover the costs of getting my second book published. My goal is to obtain 1,000 pre-orders in the next six months.

“The 2½-minute video on my Crowdfunder page took two hours to make. Rather than make unscripted videos, we decided to script this one and I memorised each line and tried speaking as clearly as I can.

“This was both a physically and mentally challenging task and took great concentration and effort but the video was more structured and a great success.”

Visit www.ukpatrick.com for more information.