You learn something new every day...

Okay,

So I'm running a little behind today. The truth is, I really have nothing new to say. That is, until I remembered I taped something yesterday that may be helpful for readers. Today's topic is.. disability awareness and celebrity influence. This can be a very powerful tool to bridging the gap of understanding between the disabled and nondisabled community

You see, I recently discovered former American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin has been coping with type 1 diabetes all of his life. This amazing young singer went on to become a top selling artist, his recent album is in the top 3 of the Billboard . He had to overcome many difficulties in his personal life, including his parents' divorce. All of this made him feel isolated and alone at times. As a result, Elliot dropped out of school at the beginning of the ninth grade. After having a total of 40 jobs, his boss noticed his singing singing talent and encouraged him to go for his dreams. The rest is history. Elliott is now part of an organization named Inspired by Diabetes which raises awareness of the disease.

You can find more information about the organization at their website:

http://www.inspiredbydiabetes.com/index.jsp

--

Citation for TV Program: "Montel Williams" , Fox channel 2 Detroit, at 12:00 p.m.. , November 29, 2007.

Encouragement: Yet Another Example

Okay,

So earlier this week, I discussed the importance of accepting oneself in terms of one's differences and/or disability. Recently, I found that goes perfectly with this concept. This article illustrates how one child sees a million possibilities in his future and accomplishes every one of them with the help of his parents.

To see where he is now and for the entire article, go to:

http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_329005731.html

Understanding oneself

Well,
Thanksgiving is over. I had a wonderful, but busy weekend with my family. The first part of the weekend was spent out of town with relatives. We are helping my Aunt Ginny get ready to put her house on the market. It's been a very long process. I had no idea it would take this long. Anyway, we arrived home on Saturday safe and sound- tired as dogs. Tim and Carrie came to visit and spend the rest of the weekend with us. It was a nice time to get together, but I am glad to be home.

Looking back, I have grown a lot over the years. But today, I realized there is still a lot I have to learn about myself. To make a long story short, what I am talking about is acceptance, both from self and other people around you. This is an essential part of building confidence and independence in oneself. Sometimes, friends and family can do things to instill this confidence within you, other times, you have to do it yourself.

Parent to a disabled child, Dan Habib knows exactly what I am talking about. After learning his son had cerebral palsy, his life began to fill with uncertainty. While spending time with Samuel in the hospital, one doctor suggested that he create a video, documenting the daily struggles of a family with a disabled child.

The end result is inspiring and eye-opening. You can read the following article for more information.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071118/NEWS02/71118042/-1/XML07

Encouragement: Be Thankful

Okay,

So I had planned on doing something completely different for today when it dawned on me that today was the day before Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, I had been thinking and arranging the days off for my personal assistants; but I hadn't really had time to sit down (no pun intended ) and think about it. Things have been pretty hectic around my apartment- days full of organizing and reorganizing, trying to remember EXACTLY where I put everything in my very own place.

There have been a lot of firsts for me- both good and not so good. Here are just a few of them.

1. My very own Christmas tree. My mom bought me a pre-lit one with colored lights . All we had to do was set it up.
2. My first heat and electric bill. Luckily, it wasn't that much because I moved in halfway through the month
3. My first maintenance. They have to get me a new dishwasher because ours doesn't work. We learned that surely after moving in.

Things with my roommate are working out pretty well. She spends most weekends with me, until she can move in permanently in December. This will hopefully be on the 12th, since her semester ends at that point.. one thing I will say, things are definitely easier and more fun when she is around.

Anyway, enough about me. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Debbie

PS. There is not going to be a post on Friday because I am going to be spending time with family

New view/thoughts about the move

Hello everyone,

So I finally did it. I'm officially moved into my new apartment. It's starting to look a little like home the longer, I stay here. There is still a lot to be figured out such as finding more personal assistants to fill my extra time slots, keeping with the budget etc. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the process with you.

I am going through a lot of changes right now. Both physically and emotionally. I thought it was bad before, boy was I wrong! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm finally moved out on my own. It gives me a sense of self I have never experienced. Now that I'm on my own, I feel a lot of pressure on myself to make this work. To prove to myself and others I can actually do what I set out to do. But now that it's happening, self-doubt is creeping in. I guess that's a part of life. It's kind of ironic because earlier this week I had found a blog post on the exact subject. I added it to the inspirational stories link.

Anyway, I guess I need to remember it's not really in my hands.

Debbie.

A rare disease

Okay,

So this will be my last post for a while, considering I will be moving into my apartment on Saturday. But you guys know all of that. That's why I announced Debbie questions week. I am expecting a lot of you to participate. Please don't disappoint me. Chuckle. I am just kidding; no pressure. I can't seem to reiterate the main point of this blog enough. It's for you-the readers.

On to today's post..

In the recent months, I have covered a variety disabilities and disability topics. But up into recently, I realize I had forgotten one. Why? The answer is quite simple really. The disease is not often mentioned because it's quite rare and there is no known cure for it. What disease am I referring to? It's called Craniodiaphyseal dysplasia . According to Wikipedia, this is a extremely rare genetic disorder, which causes calcium deposits to build up the skull; this dis figures the facial structure and decreases a person's life expectancy. The plight of this disease became known through a popular movie in 1985 called The Mask. It depicts some of the real-life struggles encountered by 16-year-old Rocky Dennis, who lost his life because of the disease

Again, thanks to my TiVo, I was able to record the movie and play it back to write down the interesting facts I learned.

Here are just some of what I learned. Keep in mind, the movie is old, so some of the facts are not up to date. But I figured this would be a good place to start if you are looking for some research.

1. At that time, this disease occurred in only one out of 22 million births.

2. It is caused by two recessive genes

3. It can happen to just about anyone

Encouragment: Announcing Debbie questions week

Everyone,

It's hard to believe, but in less than three days I will be moved into my own place. I know I keep reiterating that simple fact, I guess I am still trying to convince myself it's not a dream. I have come a long way over the years. Been through a lot the past few years. I didn't think I would ever end up here-about to embark on this new journey.

I know, I know. What does all this have to do with my disability blog. In all honesty, it really doesn't have anything to do with it. Looking back at this blog, I've come to realize I haven't given you much personal information, regarding my disability etc.. That is partly why I'm announcing next week to be Debbie questions week. This is the time where my readers can feel free to e-mail me specific questions regarding my life, disability, and coping mechanisms that I sometimes use just to get through a difficult day. Whatever it is, I will try to answer each question as openly and honestly as possible. Please make sure all the questions are reasonable. (You know what I mean)

I am doing this for two reasons. First and most obvious, so that my readers can get to know me of a bit better. But also so I can get to know my readers better, giving me more insight into what they need and expect from my blog. Not to mention, there is the added bonus of not having to write for a week. This will be especially helpful since I'm not quite sure when I will have my Internet hooked up in my apartment. A lot of things are still up in the air yet. Seriously, though, I do love writing for this blog; however, I'm not sure how much more writing I can do on my own without a little participation from you. So please participate.

I still have one more post on my sleeve, so don't start writing just yet. But I do look forward to getting to know you through your e-mails and questions during next week

Best regards,
Debbie

Forest fires in California

Well,

I'm sure you all heard about the recent forest fires in California. They've really caused a lot of difficulty for the families in the area. Many of them will probably end up having to rebuild their homes and and lives as well as create new memories. Why am I saying all this? Partially because I am running out of new topics for my blog seeing that I will no longer have the extra cable channels at my fingertips in order to give me new ideas after next week. But mostly because I think this story can give people hope no matter what you are going through.

You see, a local news man's family actually lives in California and survived to tell about it. All this last week, his sister has been reporting by phone, giving people an up close and personal look at the devastation. Janet Cane and her family were evacuated from their homes when wind no Valley swept the fires up to 2 miles from their home. In the end, 750,000 Californians were evacuated and 2000 homes were destroyed. Among all of that destruction, six homes in their community were spared including their own. But not everyone was so lucky.

---

Citation:

Citation for TV Program: "Life after The Fire" News segment Bill Spencer reporting, ABC channel 7 WXYZ Detroit, News at 11 pm, November 5, 2007.

Encouragement: Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder

Okay,

So I'm running a little behind on my blog. Not too bad, considering that I've been working for three weeks now. Things are going well. It's hard to believe, but in less than a week I will be moved into my very own apartment. Boy, time passes so quickly. Of course, that will mean some changes on my part. No more extra expenses and less time for myself. Therefore, I will be asking my readers to keep an eye out for disability issues or articles that might be of interest to others. Please keep me in mind and let me know if you come across something. That's my request for the day. I am always available by e-mail.

Anyway, onto today's post. A friend actually e-mailed me this article and I found it quite interesting. It basically asked the question, "What makes someone beautiful?" The answer is quite surprising. But you can read that for yourself.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/lifestylegermanydisabilityfashion

Happy reading!

Debbie