Why I Do It – Not that funny, but it needs to be told.

When I was out at Craig Hospital in Colorado doing my rehab, they used to encourage us to go on little excursions around town.  One favorite place to go was the Denver Mall.  On one such excursion, I was at the mall with my parents and some old friends of theirs from back home, who happen to live out there now.

We had just gotten inside the mall, and we were getting settled to make sure we had everything.  I was still weaning from the respirator, but could go most of the day without it.  Also, I didn’t have my power chair yet, so I was being pushed around in a manual chair.  As everyone was getting ready to continue, I noticed a little girl looking at me from across one of the mall’s courtyards.  Now, kids stare at me most of the time, and I’m OK with that now, but back then I was still sensitive to it.  But that’s not what bothered me this time.  The woman with this little girl, who I assumed was her mother, nodded at me as she was saying something to her.  Being around people with tracheas, you start to get the hang of lip reading.  Combined with that, and being able to practically hear her, I’m pretty sure that woman said to that little girl, “That’s what happens to bad little girls and boys who don’t listen to their parents.”

I couldn’t believe it! How could someone tell a child something like that? Besides being a lousy parent, this woman was teaching her child that disabled people are, in some way, bad.  No wonder people are afraid to approach me.  There are idiot parents out there who are teaching it to their kids.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t go over to her and tell her the truth—in the condition I was in at the time, without voice, I probably would have ended up scaring her more.

I believe that was the day I decided that I needed to do as much as possible to re-educate people; from children up to adults.  That’s why I speak in classrooms, from elementary school up to college.  That’s why people can approach me anytime with any questions, and I’ll answer them, no matter what they are.  And that’s the purpose of this web page; to reach as many people as possible, and, hopefully, show them that people with disabilities are just like everyone else.  That’s my goal, and by reading this, you’re helping me make it possible.  Thank you!