PUBLISHED on page6B, Lifestyle
Denham Springs-Livingston Parish News,
Sunday, August 17, 1997

By NATALiE TRUAX
The mouth. Webster's New World Dictionary defines it as the
opening in the head through which food is taken in and
sounds are made.
But Donna Bell of Denham Springs uses her mouth for
more than talking and munching.
Bell, 33, draws with her mouth.
She suffered injuxies to her third and fourth cervical
vertebra in a single car accident
in Simsport in 1979.
Bell is a quadriplegic paralyzed from the shoulders down.
But seven years later,
a talent emerged where there was once none.
"Before the accident, I always wanted to draw but I
couldn't even trace well with my hands," Bell said,
"'This is a gift from the Lord." When she was 21,
Bell held a pencil in her mouth and drew a frog.
"My mom and sister asked me where l copied it from and
I told them I didn't," Bell said.
Bell said she has never had any formal art training.

"If it's in you, it'll come out somewhere," Bell said.

With her family's support, Bell has drawn enough original art
and cartoon characters to fill three photo albums.
Faye, Bell's mother, said she lays pencils on a towel by
her daughter's head near the clip board where she works.
Bell can draw when she's sitting up or lying down
"You can hear her bead tuming to get the pencils,"
Faye said. "She' draws, erases and colors with the pencils
in her rnouth."
Bell uses regular pens and pencils without special
attachinents to draw.
"They (special instruments) won't really work as good,"
Bell said "I like it simple - I just reach to grab the pencil
and draw"
Bell has drawn pictures for her sisters, her nieces and
her great-niece. Her artwork has appeared on T-shirts thanks
to Mitch Bourgeois at Leaux Down in Denham Springs.
Pierre Crawdeaux, a Louisiana souvenir gift shop,
even bought one of her designs, which features Louisiana
State University mascot Mike the tiger, for a T~shirt.
Bell said her family encouraged her to pursue thisi hobby
"It's through their encouragement that made me want to do it,"
Bell said "Because of them, I do it. They say I do it good.
My biggest fans are my fainily."
Not only does Bell draw with her mouth, she also crochets.
"I was amazed," Glenda Gautreaux, Bell's sister, said.
"She made a potholder using her mouth to crochet."
"When I started, I told my mom I think I can crochet and
would do it if you buy the yarn and needles," Bell said.
"My dad said I couldn't do that but I told him to just watch me.
"I do it by mouth. It's so f'eaky."
Bell said she only crochets small items, like baby booties
and potholders.
"I want to do a blanket, but
it will be too much for me to handle," Bell said.
Bell said she ties a slip knot to a clip on the board she uses
to hold her drawing paper. She holds the other end of the yarn
and the needIe with her mouth and starts double stitching.
Along with drawing, crocheting and writing, Bell has designed
her own web page on the Internet.
Although her brother got her started designing a web page
Bell said she wanted to do it on her own.
"I wanted to teach myself and do it the way I wanted to do it,"
Bell said. "So I got WebTV."
The page, which can be reached at
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9216
features Bell's drawings and a picture of Bell with
her biography. Some of her drawings even have audio effects.
Bell designed her website using WebTV. The system is connected
to the television, which acts as a computer monitor. Bell said
she can handle the WebTV keyboard better than a regular one.
With access to the Internet, Bell said she will be able to keep
up with the rapid advances in spinal cord injury treatrnent.
Bell said research in treatment of spinal cord injury,
especially injuries similar to hers, has moved quickly through
actor Christopher Reeves' work.
"He got things moving"' Bell said.
"He's trying to raise money and all."
Reeves suffered a spinal injury similar to Bell's In a horse
riding accident.
Along with her unusual talents, Bell is always there to help
her family, who moved to Denham Springs In 1985 from Vidalia
to be near the Baton Rouge hospitals.
"She can do anything you can do,"Faye said.
"She does a lol of work by phone and helps all the
children with.their homework."
"I take calls here at home and entertain the kids, too,"
Bell said. Bell also serves as family counselor.
"When you're down and have a problem, you can call Donna and
she'll put everything in perspective," Gautreaux, said.
"She's an inspiration for all of us."
As far as her future, Bell said she just takes each day as
it comes and will walk again
"I don't like to think too far ahead or look back,"Bell said.
When she was told she was paralyzed, Bell said she wanted to know
when she would walk again.
"Mentally, it doesn't feel like I'm paralyzed.
I do everything I've done before, except walk," Bell said.
"I don't believe I'll be like this until I die.
"I know it's not permanent for anyone paralyzed.
Keep trusting in the Lord and everything will be all right."
In the future, Bell said she wants to keep drawing and improve
her skill and one day attend art school.
"Anything can happen."

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