I was born on July 5, 1971. It was a complicated birth . . . I couldn't cry, breathe or suck. The doctors thought I would be a vegetable the rest of my life. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of three and a half and am very physically disabled. I can't walk, talk or feed myself in the "normal way."
When I was four years old, I was the Cerebral Palsy "poster child." I attended day care at a school designed for children with disabilities. After that, I attended a main stream school and when I was in fourth grade, I was put into a special education class.
I won the award for the outstanding handicapped citizen for the State of Wisconsin. In college I double majored in data entry and accounting. Now, I update telephone directories for a living. I update approximately twenty to thirty phone books a year working right in my home. I also make and sell my own greeting cards.
I use a Liberator for communication and to access my computer. I had to go through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to get my Liberator. Previously, I had owned a TouchTalker so I knew the Liberator would be the right device. My dad custom made the lap tray especially for my Liberator, which I really enjoy.
My family consists of a father, a mother and three brothers. I also have eight nieces and nephews.
My lifelong goal is to be able to live independently and take care of myself.