Sixth grader May Be Blind, but He Still Has His Vision

Hey Guys,

Happy Memorial Day. I hope everyone has enjoyed a three day weekend as much as I have. It was certainly jampacked with a lot of surprise visits from people in our family's past. It was nice seeing them and being able to catch up. As a matter of fact, I'm writing Monday's post early so that I don't have to worry about getting to the computer. Dad's got the day off, it looks like we are going to have a family barbecue. Hopefully, it doesn't rain.

Anyway, I came across an interesting new segment on Friday that I thought might interest you guys. It featured the amazing story of 12 year old Bjorn Brooks; Suffering from a degenerative disorder called retinitis pigmentosa, he is using his blindness to create awareness for the disease. Recently, Brooks has begun organizing a walk at his school to raise funds for the organization. The ultimate prize: a lunch with well-known musician, Genuine!

In terms of a cure, Bjorn sees one in the future.

"As long as you hope, something good will happen," he says.

Things weren't always this easy though. It wasn't until this year that he really took hold of his disability and turned it into something positive.

"A positive attitude makes a good person; so I just figure if I have it, I have it. Don't mope!"

Inspirational words, huh?

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Citation for TV Program: News Segment Fox channel 5 WTTG DC, News at 5 pm, May 28, 2010.

A Father's Sacrifice

Welcome Back~

Well, today's Friday and I seem to be a little sore from the dentist yesterday. Being disabled, it's often difficult for me to relax my facial muscles.(i.e. my jaw and lip muscles) I am lucky to have the a dentist, that is willing to adapt to the circumstances based on my ability. For example, they are able to do most procedures in my chair with it tilted back; that's one of the advantages of a reclining wheelchair. Anyway, I am still in quite a bit of pain. My back teeth are always the hard ones.

Still, "No pain, no gain."

Right?

As promised, below is my review of "Extraordinary Measures". This movie is very inspirational, showing the links that a father will go to help their children. They will stop at nothing to ensure they get the best of everything, no matter what the cost. Brendan Fraser plays John Crowley, a father who invests his own money in an effort to find a cure for Pompe. In first glance, this movie reminded me a lot of Pursuit of Happyness (probably because it was produced by the same person). This movie gives a accurate portrayal of the conflict of interest that sometimes occurs between healthcare and society. All in all, it was well written and kept you guessing; although I would have liked to see more of the impact this journey had on the family dynamic as a whole.

Happy Memorial Day to all my readers!

Have a great weekend. Hopefully, it won't rain!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

"Extraordinary measures" DVD- a story inspired by the Crowley Family

Okay~

So it's Wednesday and "Encouragement Day" here on A Life Without Limits. I haven't done much lately because I've been busy and haven't found much of interest. But today's your lucky day.. As most of you know, Extraordinary Measures is out on DVD. I just received it through Netflix yesterday and plan on writing my review on Friday. But from what I understand and have read, it seems like an inspirational movie. This movie is inspired by the true story of the Crowley family whose two children had been diagnosed with Pompe, a life- threatening disease that ultimately impacts the hard, liver and other vital organs. In simple terms, the body has a difficult time breaking down glucose so it ends up storing it. To this day, there is no known cure, but that hasn't stopped the family from searching. He even quit his job so he would be able to get his children into a clinical trial.

To read more about his story and the movie until my review, go to either one of these links.

http://www.moviefone.com/movie/extraordinary-measures/36345/main?flv=1
http://extraordinarymeasuresthemovie.com/#/johncrowley

http://extraordinarymeasuresthemovie.com/

Top 10 Disability Blogs

Welcome back ~

It's Monday and I'm scrambling to find something to post.. Sorry to disappoint you, but this is all I could come up with. Personally, the website I took this from sounds a lot more interesting.. The website is owned by Josh Vandervies, an athlete with no arms.in this post, he also lists the top 10 disability blogs that you found most helpful.
I thought I would share it with you
http://www.joshvandervies.com/blog/10-top-disability-blogs.html

"Dwarf Adoption story" on the Discovery channel

So,



I am posting on a Saturday instead of Friday with good reason. Not only because there wasn't much going on disability - wise yesterday, but also because I was able to enjoy a long visit with some church family friends from Michigan. It was nice to see them again and be able to catch up after all of these years. In these changing times, I find many churches are struggling.. struggling to find their place in this world where the boundaries and morals aren't so clear anymore



Anyway, today I was flipping through my television channels and came across an interesting show on Discovery Health Channel. It was called "Dwarf Adoption Story"; unfortunately, though, I only caught the tail end of the program. The show features David and his wife as they travel to Albania for 45 days in the effort to complete the adoption of their second child Nikolai. In the end, they were able to complete the process and their family.

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Citation for TV program: "Dwarf Adoption Story " Discovery Health Channel 161 DHC 22 May 2010

My Week in Review

Okay,



So this week has been a busy one for the family. Over the years, I have learned to expect the unexpected; this week reminded me anything can happen! During the week, my personal assistant came down with a cold and was unable to make it to work. This left my mom having to pick up the slack; but she was good about it. On the one hand, I was frustrated because it broke up my routine and delayed some things I wanted to get done. However, the time off did have its advantages though. It allowed me some personal time to continue writing on chapter 10 of my work in progress, "Forever friends" (that's where the book title stands now).



For that reason, I haven't been really keeping up to date with this blog. It's hard to find stuff to post here sometimes because I want this website to be helpful to you, my readers! Still, every once in a while I find good stuff



Take the following website for example:



http://braininjury.blogs.com/braininjury/2010/05/on-line-resource-for-college-students-with-disabilities.html

This is another online resource for colleg students with disabilities

Until Next Time,
Debbie

What Would You Do Exclusive Scenario

Hey Everyone,

We've all experienced some type of discrimination in our lives. These scenarios, although painful, are instrumental in building a person's character and integrity. During these trials, begin to see ourselves for who we are and what we believe. That's exactly what Wednesday 's Primetime Special Of What Would You Do? points out on a regular basis. Specifically, I would like to talk about yesterday's episode featuring a Down Syndrome grocery bagger.

In this scenario, our Downs Syndrome bagger (played by actor Josh Uber [?]) faces harsh criticism about his bagging techniques. The situation, although staged, gave an accurate portrayal of what people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis such as being subjected to slurs like being called a "retard" or suggesting that it would take Josh forever. Over the course of two days, ABC observed people's responses. Not surprisingly (at least for me), most kept quiet, keeping their opinions to themselves. Why? They either said they were afraid to get involved or that they weren't sure of the consequences if they stood up for him.

What can we learn from this?

A lot.

Please go to ABC.com to see the actual footage from the show. There were some pretty remarkable people that stood up for Josh during the experiment. A few, but enough. You know what they say, "Evil thrives when good men do nothing." Anyway, please take the time to watch the show. You will be touched.. I was! I thought about putting some of the favorite quotes down on paper, but I figure it impacts you more if you see for yourself.

Other episodes Of What Would You Do air on Fridays at 9 PM

Correction, the clips can't be shown on ABC but you can find them on hulu.com @

http://www.hulu.com/watch/150912/what-would-you-do-who-stops-grocery-clerk-abuse#s-p1-so-i1

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Citation for TV program: "Primetime: What Would You Do" ABC Channel 7 WJLA, 19 May 2010.

Sadness

Okay,

So something tells me I have featured this link already. But I'm going to post it again- simply because I think it's good to realize our imperfections as humans. Too often, the disabled community is labeled as "inspirational" or "always happy". While it's true, everyone has their rough times and difficulties in life; we do too. I relate to the following post, although I don't let the feeling linger too long. Because there is always another day..

http://cheesechalkandcp.blogspot.com/2010/05/sadness.html

Encouragement: Highway to Heaven's "A Match Made In Heaven"

Hey Guys~

Okay, so I was enjoying my TiVo 4 Series yesterday, when I came across one of my old favorites on television- Highway to Heaven. Some of you may remember it as one of the classics of the 80's, featuring Victor French and Michael Landon. Other popular television series during that time included Little House on the Prairie, Three's Company and the Cosby Show.

But I digress.

Not only was I excited to see the show back on the air because of its entertainment value, but for its morality as well. The show, just like Touched by an Angel touches on issues not often discussed on television. This episode "A Match Made in Heaven" was no different. It featured a paralyzed lawyer played by James Troesh struggling with the possible implications of a marriage to Mark's cousin (Margie Impert)

Some of the questions that surfaced during this episode included:

1. Does falling in love outweigh all of the sacrifices my husband or wife will have to make during the marriage?

2. Is my friend wasting their life being with the disabled person? What about all the responsibility it involves?

And most importantly,

3. How will this affect my self-worth? I won't even be able to take care of my own children.

As you can see, this was a very powerful episode. Especially for me as I look towards the future and a possible life with a husband and children. I would encourage you to remember, though, that love conquers all. If you are having doubts about your life or situation, always remember that!

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Citation for TV program: "A Match Made in Heaven" Highway to Heaven. Gospel Music Channel 224 GMC, 12 May 2010. Original air date: January 20, 1985

Extreme makeover: Stark weather Family

So~

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has done it again with another inspirational story about your everyday family just trying to live their life. At first glance, the Starkweather family looks typical enough, the truth is they're anything but. Ethan, the youngest of this family of five, suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Prader - Willis. According to medicinenet.com, this condition affects the whole body- primarily presenting itself in weak muscle tone and a propensity to overeat. This is because the hypothalamus part of the brain doesn't function properly telling you when you're full..

"It's a very odd thing to deny someone food when they say they're hungry, but we have to to save his life," says his mother, Amy.

Caring for her son is a full- time job; as a result, she stopped working to stay home and monitor his health and therapies. Since Ethan's diagnosis, the family has had to make their share of sacrifices. Their father's focus once on house repair turned to spending time with family and friends. His brothers do their best to limit their food intake in front of Ethan.

Sounds depressing, right?

Not really. Despite his disorder, Ethan is reaching out to spread the word about the disorder and help others in similar situations. His work with the Make-A-Wish foundation has raised hundreds of dollars.

"It has meant so much to Ethan to help other kids; he calls it his job!" she said.

During the house transformation, the family traveled to Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida. Guest renovators included country singers Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert. In the plans for the home: a security coded pantry, a fully equipped therapy room and aquarium themed room for Ethan, an aerospace- themed room for Ryan, as well as a rocker style room for Jared

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Citation for TV program: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" ABC Channel 7 WJLA, 9 May 2010

Encouragement: Walking tall

Welcome back~

Since I missed Friday, here is a recent inspirational story on Good Morning America Top Five video clips- another example of being able to do anything you set your mind too! The premise: a wrestler is injured during a match, causing him to be paralyzed from the neck down. The doctors say it would take longer for him to recover, but after two months, he is able to walk at his graduation. Doctors say he is 60% recovered.

Take a look

http://living.aol.com/morning-rush/walking-tall-morning-express/84343126001/bow?icid=mainmaindl7link3http%3A%2F%2Fliving.aol.com%2Fmorning-rush%2Fwalking-tall-morning-express%2F84343126001%2Fbow

Changing One's perspective

Hey~



Okay, so I've been kind of busy lately.I recently installed my new TiVo premiere and now I'm trying trying to add my disability wish list onto it, so I am alerted to any media that may present itself in the future.



While things get back to normal, I want you to think about this... The topic of disability is often considered somewhat of a negative, but what would happen if we turned a disability to "differently abled"?
Http://crazysexylife.com/2010/from-disabled-to-differently-abled/

Just a thought!

A Brand-New Perspective of People with Disabilities in Underdeveloped Countries Such As Dominican Republic and Peru

Everyone,

Yet another Monday and I'm searching for something to write about on this blog; so, I decided to use one in my links on "Important Websites List for Blog".

It's been another one of those days where my disability is just a nuisance. So this website seems quite appropriate.From what I gather, the writer of "Life is so much bigger" has a Servant heart, going on mission trips in an effort to make the life of others better. Through her post, she learns an important lesson- there is always someone worse circumstances than your own; it's what you make of those circumstances that says something about you.

This blog reminds me that my friend Christel is not alone. While serving primarily in Panama, she hopes to make a difference for people with disabilities in the Dominican Republic
http://leiaferrari.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/life-is-so-much-bigger/