It’s summertime, and you know what that means-everyone seems to be sick with that miserable upper respiratory cold that goes around without fail at this time every year. You know, the one you have tried desperately not to catch? The one where you tell yourself it’s just a sore throat, and then before you know […]
One of the first questions I get when people find out I’m from New Orleans is “Don’t you just love to hang out in the French Quarter? Do you do that every weekend?” My relationship with the Quarter is very much a love/hate one. I love the atmosphere of the Quarter. I love the fact […]
Parents of children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta are often charged with child abuse, simply because their kids always turn up with broken bones. My muscles can break my bones when they contract, making it seem like my bones break at random. You can see where, especially if a child has a lower severity of OI, parents […]
Having Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease, certainly poses some unique problems for those of us with short limbs and limited mobility. Here are ten gadgets/adaptive technological advances that help actual people with OI as well as other disabilities. 1. Wheelchairs: This one is pretty obvious, but most of us with the more severe forms […]
Because I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease, it’s extremely important that I use a wheelchair that is not only stable but supports my crooked body in all the right places so that I don’t break a bone if I hit a bump. My body is not standard. I have bends in all the […]
Anyone who knows me knows that my idea of the perfect night involves being in the front row of a concert. I don’t have a lot of hobbies besides painting (which usually feels more like work these days), but I absolutely LOVE listening to live music and attending my favorite artists’ shows. Thanks to one […]
Last year, I was given the opportunity to speak to a group of teachers about the benefits and importance of the inclusion of disabled kids in mainstream schools (school inclusion). By the time I was three years old, my parents started looking into pre-school options for me because I was driving them crazy! I was […]
Meet Lexie, my 7-ish year old sheltie/border collie mix and trained service dog. We rescued Lexie about five years ago from the Gulf Coast Sheltie Rescue in Pensacola. She had been found five months prior running on the interstate with a child’s leash attached to her, had heartworms, and knew absolutely NO manners or obedience. […]
What is the first place you think of when you think of taking a summer vacation? I bet more than half of you instantly thought, THE BEACH of course! There’s something about that beautiful blue water, the ocean waves, white sand, and sun that just lures people in. Kids love to run in the surf, […]
Do you suddenly find yourself depending on others for basic necessities? It’s hard, isn’t it? When people meet me, they often say things like, “Wow, you break that easily? You’re in pain all the time? That must be so hard. I can’t even imagine that.” The truth is, yes, there are days where it can […]
