Her father is San Francisco Giants pitching coach Dave (“Rags”) Righetti, the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and lead the Major League in saves.

But at 21, Bay Area native Natalee Righetti is already carving out her own identity, which she writes about in her newly published book, Beautifully Different: Living a Grand Slam Life Despite My Disability (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012).

It’s about being born with cerebral palsy, which left one side of her body partially paralyzed. Though she doesn’t shrink from describing her condition (from epileptic seizures to endless consultations with doctors and experimental, often painful therapies), she is unfailingly optimistic. She is determined to give her life purpose and help others who face similar challenges. We talked with Natalee about her life and her book.

Why did you write this book?

At first, I was just writing the book for the challenge. But when I finished, I realized that it could have a bigger purpose beyond myself. I felt like it could be really inspirational to people with disabilities.

Teenage girls are notorious for tearing themselves apart if they are just a little bit different than others.

I did have my moments, and I still do...Because of my disability, I couldn’t worry about those other little things that are more typical of teenage girls. Also because of my disability, I have always had to keep active, which makes me feel better about myself. So in this way, my disability is kind of a blessing.

What advice would you give a teenage girl – disabled or not – who is struggling with her self-image?

I would tell a teenage girl: Whatever it is about you that you are struggling with, embrace it. Everyone has their thing that is different about them, so learn to wear it like it’s your own style.

What did your parents do right while raising you and your siblings?

They always let us know that we could talk about everything. By being such strong people, they made me feel less worried or scared.

What was your parents’ reaction to your book?

They were really surprised. My dad was in shock. He asked me, “How did you get so smart?”

He is kind of a private guy and never really shows his emotions. But when he read my book, he gave me a big hug and was obviously really proud.

What advice would you give to a parent of a child with a disability?

Be as supportive as you can. Help them when they are down and help show the positive side of what they are going through, even though that might be hard to see. Also, be open-minded to your child. Understand that they know how they feel.

Gwen Hubner is a freelance writer who lives in Oakland.