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A Story Of Resilience: Recovering from a Spinal Cord Injury Going the distance. What does that mean to you? To push yourself every day, to accomplish your goals to always strive to be better, whether that may be to make a desired sports team, to do better in school or even something as simple as waking up every morning to go to work. We all have hardships and obstacles we face day-to-day that may cloud or fog our dreams and desires, to push ourselves and go the distance every day to look for that light at the end of the tunnel. For me, to regain what my injury has stolen from me is why I wake up every morning to "Go The Distance." Just a little more than a year ago, fresh out of high school, I was a young independent 18-year-old like most young adults. I had been working at a local painting job full-time to save up for traveling, school, and overall life. My career dream has always been to become a firefighter ever since I can remember. As a result of this, I would have to train every day to prepare for the physical testing that I never had a chance to attend. This test was scheduled just 10 days after my accident. My New Normal: Spinal Cord Injury I had entered a trampoline park late on a Friday night with my girlfriend at the time for some late night fun. Trampoline parks were nothing new to me as I had been well-versed in them and attended multiple different locations and never thought anything differently of the one I had just entered. On my first jump in, from the trampoline into the foam pit I had front flipped in only to bottom out on the concrete below the trampoline breaking my C5 vertebrae, immediately paralyzing me from the neck down. From that day forward my life would take a very different turn, and my journey to recover would begin. From learning how to breathe again after my lung had collapsed in intensive care to figuring out how to navigate a fork with my new non-compliant hands, many things I did not think would be affected by a spinal cord injury would leave me with little to no independence. Schwann Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries I decided to defy all odds given to me by my injury and not allow them to become my fate, to go the distance until my goals of walking again were reached. In result of that mindset and countless hours of online searching is when I came across a study at University of Miami in Florida. In this study neurologists and biomedical engineers have often thought of using Schwann cells from your own body found in your peripheral nervous system responsible for regenerating axons, and injecting them into the injured site of your spinal cord to hopefully regain and re-grow the spinal cord. Through much testing and studies on mice and other exhibits they have found that Schwann cells can potentially provide this growth factor. Through much screening and multiple conversations over the phone and even a week trip down to Miami for further testing, that being MRIs, blood work in multiple different tests I had been selected under the cervical level (ASIA C) to receive this Schwann cell treatment. I was the only Canadian and the youngest participate in the study How Will You Go The Distance? I am beyond excited for the road ahead, but what I’m even more excited for is knowing that I won’t allow myself to give up on my goals and dreams and to always go the distance until they are obtained! Everyone in this world will face these curveballs life throws at you, and I hope that I can inspire and motivate people to not allow these curveballs strike us out, but allow them to make us stronger and more hungry to obtain our dreams. Thank you very much for reading this far, and I will continue to inspire! Follow my journey on Instagram: @Landonclarksmith

להפוך למשותק מן הצוואר ומטה שמי בני דיר. ב-2008 עברתי תאונת דרכים קשה בה שברתי את הצוואר שלי. צריך היה להחיות אותי במקום, לכבות את האש שבערה מהמכונית, ומלתעות החיים חילצו אותי. הפכתי למשותק לחלוטין מן הצוואר ומטה. בבית החולים, הלב שלי ויתר פעמים רבות וקיבלתי הלם חשמלי חמש פעמים כדי להחזיר אותי. יחד עם דלקת ריאות קשה, בשלב מסוים היה לי חום של 42°, שבו הייתי צפוי למות או לקבל נזק מוחי. הרופא שיכנע את המשפחה שלי שאם אני אחיה לא אזכה לאיכות חיים ושעדיף לבחור בהמתת חסד. כעבור כמה ימים העירו אותי מהתרדמת. רציתי לחיות ונתתי לחבר הכי טוב שלי, כריס, לקבל את ההחלטות הרפואיות בענייני. נאמר לי אז שלעולם לא אזוז, אוכל, או אנשום שוב בכוחות עצמי. Becoming Quadriplegic: Do Not Resuscitate My name is Benny Diar. In 2008 I was in a bad car accident, breaking my neck. I had to be resuscitated on scene, car on fire having to be extinguished, and the jaws of life used to get me out. I was now a C3,4, & 5 complete quadriplegic. In the hospital, my heart gave out multiple times, and the defibrillator was used on five separate occasions to bring me back. Along with bad pneumonia, at one point I had a fever of 108.0°, where I was expected to die or have brain damage. The doctor convinced my family, that if I were to live, I would have no quality of life, and to put me on a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). A couple days later, they woke me up out of a sedated coma. I wanted to live and I put my best friend, Chris, in charge of my medical decisions. Luckily, I did not come again, turning it into a non-issue. I was then told I would never move, eat, or breathe on my own again. נלחם ומצייר עם השיתוק הייתי אמנותי כל חיי ואמן גרפיטי זמן רב. במהלך ההתאוששות עשיתי טונות של פיזיותרפיה, רפואה מזרחית ותרגילי נשימה. נשאלתי גם אם אני רוצה להשתתף באמנויות ומלאכות יד. בהתחלה הסתייגתי כי זה הרגיש ילדותי, אבל ברגע שניסיתי לצייר עם הפה שלי, התמכרתי. זה היה כל כך טוב ליצור שוב. לאחר טונות של טיפולים ומאבקים במבנה בלוס אנג'לס - הייתי מסוגל לאכול אוכל אמיתי שוב ולנשום לבד. למרות שהאצבעות ופרקי הידיים שלי עדיין לא עובדים, הצלחתי להחזיר הרבה מהתנועה בזרועותי. עם כל ההתקדמות, נקבע כעת שאני משותק חלקית רק ב-C5. לאחר שנעשיתי עצמאי יותר ולמדתי לחיות לבד, יכולתי לחזור הביתה לאזור המפרץ, בו אני עדיין חי ומצייר עד עצם היום הזה. Fighting and Painting with Quadriplegia I have been artistic my whole life, and have been a graffiti artist for a lot of it. During recovery, I did tons of physical therapy, Eastern medicine, and breathing exercises. I was also asked if I would like to participate in arts and crafts. At first I was reluctant because it felt childish, but once I tried painting with my mouth, I was hooked. It felt so good to be creating again. After tons of therapy and fighting at the facility in LA, I was able to eat real food again, breathe on my own, and completely get off a ventilator. Although my fingers and wrists don't work yet, I have been able to get back a good amount of movement in my arms. With all that progress, it was then determined I am now a C5 incomplete quadriplegic. After becoming more independent and learning to live on my own again, I was able to move back home to the Bay Area, where I still live and paint to this day.

ה-23 בספטמבר ייזכר למשך כל חיי ב-23 בספטמבר עברתי תאונת אופנוע שניתקה לי את העורק התרדמני (עורק ראשי המוביל דם לראש ולצוואר). אם לא הייתי קרוב לבית החולים כמו שהייתי, הייתי מדמם למוות. הייתי מאבד את חיי באותו לילה, אבל אלוהים היה לצדי. זה היה מסע ארוך מאז. אני כבר בבית החולים במשך שישה שבועות עובר מספר ניתוחים ועירויי דם - אבל עדיין חי ובועט! Sept 23rd will be remembered for the rest of my life On September 23, I had a motorcycle accident that severed my carotid artery. If I wasn't as close to the hospital as I was, I'd have bled to death. I would have lost my life that night, but God was on my side. It’s been a long journey since then. I’ve been in the hospital for six weeks undergoing multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, but I’m kicking ass and storming through it! איבוד הזרוע שלי היה קשה כתוצאה מתאונה טראומטית זו, זרועי התרסקה והזדהמה. הרופאים עשו כמיטב יכולתם כדי לנסות להציל אותה אבל היא איבדה יותר מדי מזרימת הדם והחמצן. הייתי חייב לקטוע אותה כי אם לא הייתי עושה זאת, הזיהום היה יכול להיות קטלני. יש לי צוות נהדר של מנתחים שעבדו עליי ועשו כמיטב יכולתם, בדיוק כפי שהם עשו כשהצילו את חיי ב-23. איבוד זרועי היה קשה בהתחלה. הימים הראשונים היו הגרועים ביותר, היה לי קשה לעכל את העובדה שאיבדתי את היד, אבל החלטתי שלא אתן לזה להאט אותי! החיים שלי לא נגמרו ואני מתקדם. אני הולך לתת בראש! ואפילו יותר חזק משנתתי עם שתי זרועות. החיים הם מעולים ואני מאמין שדברים יפים מצפים לי. Losing my arm was tough As a result of this traumatic accident, my arm got pretty mangled and infected. The doctors did their best to try and save it but it lost too much blood flow and oxygen. I had to have it amputated because if I didn't do it, the infection could have been fatal. I have a great team of surgeons who have worked on me and have been doing their best, just as they did when they saved my life on the 23rd. Losing my arm was tough at first. The first few days were the worst, I had a tough time processing the fact I had lost an arm, but I have decided I won't let it slow me down! My life is not over & I'm moving forward. I’m going to kick ass! And I will kick ass even harder than I did with two arms. Life is great and I believe it has beautiful things in store for me. אני כל כך אסיר תודה על כל התמיכה שלי אני רוצה להודות לכל החברים והמשפחה שמהווים לי חברה ועוזרים לי בדרך קשה זו. אני אוהב אתכם כל כך, במיוחד את אמא שלי שהייתה כאן לצידי כל יום. אני אוהב אותך אמא, אני לא יודע מה הייתי עושה בלעדייך! אני גם רוצה להודות לאלוהים על שהעניק לי נפש חזקה לקבל את האתגרים האלה ולשמור אותי במצב רוח מרומם. בקרו בדף שלי וצפו בי מתופף! petebands@ I am so grateful for all of my support I’d like to thank all my friends and family for keeping me company and helping me through this tough time. I love you all so much, especially my mother who has been here by my side every single day. I love you mom, I don’t know what I would do without you! I’d also like to thank God for giving me a strong mind to accept these challenges and keeping me in high spirits. Please visit my page to see me drumming! @petebands

Never Say Never Never say never. No other line will or can ever describe the resilience and strength of our little superhero, Jacob. Defying the odds since birth, our son is showing the world to never judge a book by its cover...or in his case, by a medical diagnosis. In his short life he has managed to prove medical professionals, developmental specialists and judgemental naysayers wrong. Myth #1 He will never breath on his own. Wrong. Jacob is breathing fully independently, very rarely requiring oxygen and has remained out of hospital since August (despite many colds and viruses). Myth #2 He has low tone and will not be physically independent. Wrong. Jacob is sitting, standing and has even taken steps. He loves to roll around on the floor, especially when he is trying to get his favourite toys. He is developing his fine motor skills, moving beads on wires, pulling toys out of cups and using a pincer grasp to grab small objects. Myth #3 Jacob will never eat orally. Wrong. Although Jacob has a g-tube, he is fed 100% orally. In as little as 7 months, he has learned to re-establish his suck and swallow, he eats thickened purées and has even begun to eat solids- bringing crackers to his mouth independently! He has overcome an oral aversion and sensory issues, all related to many intubations, and now loves to brush his teeth! Jacob is eating so well that he is starting to gain weight and tone! Myth #5 Your life will be miserable with Jacob. Wrong!!!! Our life has been blessed with Jacob. He has taught us how to persevere in the face of adversity, love unconditionally, celebrate the small things and live life to its fullest. Jacob has strengthened our family, our faith and our drive to show the world that different is beautiful. Jacob is not a diagnosis, a rare diagnosis, a medical mystery. Jacob is an 18 month old, happy, music loving little boy with an amazing head of hair. His laugh is contagious and his smile is bright. He has a light that draws people in, making them friends forever. He fills your heart and soul and always, always, always, is living proof to never say never!

A children's picture book for all children When I was a child, I had a set of books that I could look at for hours. They were small picture books of children and their farm animal pets having adventures. I loved these books because I could pretend that I was having the adventure, and what child doesn’t love the idea of a farm with animals? Fast forward to the present and I am now the mom of 6 children, I have shared these cute stories from my childhood with my children for many years. However, when I pulled them out for my youngest son, my child with Down syndrome, I began wondering if I would be able to find books of children who looked like him, doing fun activities that he would like to see children doing. I found very little and decided it was time that the world at large saw children with Down syndrome enjoying the same things that all children enjoy. The farm life is now a part of my daily living as is Down syndrome. I hadn’t yet seen a book showing a variety of children who had Down syndrome just immersed in being children, so we created one. "Down on the farm" features the abilities of those with Down Syndrome It was a beautiful sunny day in June when I invited 10 children to the farm to have a photo shoot. It was wacky, crazy, fun and lively and the result was a beautiful picture book that anyone could enjoy. There is no mention of Down syndrome but for those unfamiliar with the genetic condition, one will see the pure joy of childhood. Those who are touched by Down syndrome can be encouraged by seeing so many young children together in one place enjoying their adventures. The story line is simple, with rhyme and cadence that begs to be read aloud. I would have been wonderfully impacted by seeing something like this when we first received our son’s diagnosis. I don’t know that I had ever seen more than one child with Down syndrome before he was born, let alone ten in one children’s book. My hope is that this book will open the door to conversation, that it will be used in classrooms when the topic of diversity comes up, that new parents will be given a copy to see the abilities and adventure that there is to be had, regardless of a Down Syndrome diagnosis. Our book is being released on Amazon for World Down Syndrome day on March 21, 2018 and we would love for the world to embrace our lovely children!

We will not let fear win It is always fear that keeps us from embracing new situations. I found this out first hand when I learned, at birth, that our son had Down syndrome. I was crippled with fear. It was fear of the unknown path we were embarking on. It was fear of the young man and adult he would one day become. It was fear of a future I did not understand and fear that was deep seeded in antiquated stereotypes. When I turned to the internet, I found even more fear. I was afraid of all of the health conditions that could arise, the heart problems the delays, the therapies, all of it perpetrated my fears. It was then that I had to make a choice. I could live crippled by this fear and allow my life to become colorless like the misty gray fog that seemed to be embracing me, or I could change it. I chose to change it. I chose to change my perception and that of every other mom that would come along after me and fall into the same snare of fear that I had tripped into. I found that in embracing our new life, and helping others, I no longer fear. In the first year of his life I fought fear and learned to reclaim my joy. By helping other moms on this path, I also found gratitude for this detour that I wouldn’t have chosen, but would now never change. The fear is gone now and has been replaced by hope, and a genuine excitement for the future. My son has caused me to become the biggest advocate for him and all those with Down Syndrome. #1 Down Syndrome site Together we have launched what is listed on Feedspot as the #1 Down Syndrome site. We have provided gifts to welcome baskets across the nation, shared diagnosis stories from around the world on our site, and we have launched a brand new children’s picture book to show the world that there is nothing to fear because children with Down Syndrome are beautiful souls that one should count themselves lucky to encounter. Down Syndrome is not the monster of a diagnosis I thought it was and my son is proving that to me every day. I want the world to know this so that mothers who receive a diagnosis either at birth, or prenatally, will see that fear need not win. It is my dream to put so much positive out there that fear takes a backseat and barely sneaks in as an afterthought. Dear fear, you did not win, we are conquering you.

Love♡Bili♡NYC Love♡Bili♡NYC is a NYC-based apparel company, founded by two disabled women that promotes disability awareness and empowerment. At ♡bili, we take images that too often symbolize weakness and celebrate their actual function of strength. Wear your pride in style and #loveyouraBILIty: www.lovebilinyc.com. Product #1: The Wheelchair Shirt Our original wheelchair tee! There are many ways to feel empowered and this simple tee is just one! Screen printed wheelchair on the front, logo on the back. Product #2: The Brain Tote Our Brain Tote highlights inclusivity and reminds us that not all disiblities are visible! Always keep love on the brain <3 Screen printed brain on the front, logo on the back. Product #3: The Joshi Shirt Our Joshi Shirt is a collaboration with A Leg To Stand On (ALSTO), a NYC-based nonprofit organization that provides free orthopedic care and prosthetics to children in the developing world! 50% of the proceeds go to ALTSO. Screen printed Joshi limb on the front, logo on the back. Product #4: Little Sticks Tote A small tote to take anywhere! Featuring our sticks design and a lot of love. Screen printed sticks on the front, heart on the back, and logo inside. Product #5: The Pride Shirt Our rainbow tee is all about pride! Because everyone deserves an equal amount of LOVE!Screen printed rainbow wheelchair on the front, logo on the back.

ONEder and TravelMate When the Arc of Northern Virginia created a TravelMate curriculum using the ONEder special education platform, we saw an eight-fold increase in the number of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) who were serviced by our partner organizations. Almost 100% of program participants increased their ability to travel independently to and from work with less support, while nearly half increased their ability to travel independently alone with TravelMate.

An Epic Calling Attempting to deal with seizing positions, while they express their loving opinion, often this can feel like oppression, as I'm expected to bow to their submission, while insisting I ignore my intuition, but I just can not conform, for what is seen as the norm, I prefer to continue to follow my vision, wishing to understand why we spasm, knowing this will take us out of these prisons. Family debates with plenty of flare, the ones that I love & do not mean to scare, I just ask that they try to relate to me here, and stop making a fuss over one fucking beer, I get that they'd like me to settle and steer, over and start taking the doctors gear, but I myself need to work out my fears, as I'm responsible for my own painful tears. YES, seizure free is where we'd all like to be, as when we seize it's like an angry bee, for you and me stinging so badly, BUT, the strength that's gained, from a life involving pain, is why I smile for miles, when you complain, about how you wish it was all plain, BECAUSE, I enjoy the dance when we reign in the rain.

Down syndrome- A life overflowing with love and joy! July 26, 2016 is the day that changed my life forever. It’s the day that changed the path I thought I was on, to the one that God had me on from the beginning. He knew I would walk this path in life with Easton before He even knitted me together in my mother’s womb. He knew I would be here today with this sweet ray of sunshine that I have named Easton. He knew that I would feel shame, embarrassment, anger, sadness, disappointment, and fear when I learned that Easton would have Down syndrome. He knew that I would need my “tribe” to get through it. He also knew that I would eventually see the light at the end of that very dark, lonely time in my life. He knew I would still be standing here today. I don’t see Down syndrome when I look at him July 26th is a big day. July 26, 2017 was the day my little boy turned six months old. He is truly the light of my life. He makes me happy every single day. When he smiles, I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest with love for him. I don’t see Down syndrome when I look at him. I see my son. I see his beautiful eyes, and his perfectly soft hair. I see his sweet smile, his kissable cheeks, and his sweet, happy demeanor. I see his future; and let me just say- it’s a bright one! I can’t wait to watch him succeed in life. I can’t wait to see how much he accomplishes, and how many lives he changes along the way. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave me the honor of being this little boy’s mama. July 26, 2016- the day my life changed forever July 26, 2016 is a completely different story. It’s the day that changed my life’s path forever. It’s the day that my world was rocked. I was brought to my knees in fear, pain, sadness, anger, disappointment, and shame. It’s the month that was the start to the rest of my life. The day that started me on this crazy roller coaster of a journey called motherhood. It’s also the day that brought me closer to God. July 26, 2016 is the day that I got the phone call. The call that would change life as I knew it. I heard the genetic counselor say, "Unfortunately, it looks like your Nuchal Translucency test came back with a very high risk of Down syndrome." "What does that mean?" I said quickly in shock and disbelief. "Your scan of the fetus looked fine, but the blood work came back with a 1 in 116 chance of the baby having Down syndrome. We need to pursue further testing to find out more." How could my baby have Down syndrome? To simply say that I was in shock would be an understatement. Down syndrome? My baby could have Down syndrome? There is no way. That is impossible. Stuff like this doesn't happen to me. 1 in 116 doesn't seem like a very high risk. That's still less than a 1% chance. I tried everything to talk myself out of it, but at the same time, I already knew. Preparing for Easton As soon as I heard the genetic counselor say there was a chance, I knew immediately that it was true. Looking back at my life, God has been preparing me for Easton for years. He knew my life plan before I was even born. He knew He was going to give this child to me. He knew I would be able to handle it. He also knew that I would need some preparation beforehand, which He gave me. When I started sharing this news with my close family and friends, that's when I realized God had started preparing me for this. Each and every person I told met the news with grace, encouragement, support, and love. They assured me that they would love Easton with everything they have, his life was something to be celebrated, and that he would make a meaningful impact in this world. My Tribe I started to realize that God had purposely put these amazing people in my life. Every place I had been, every relationship I created- it was all for a purpose. He was helping me find my tribe- one by one. He put Drew in my life because He knew that THIS was THE person that was going to be strong enough to stand next to me through all this. He gave me an amazing family, friends, nurses, and doctors. As I am sitting here typing this, I am truly realizing that He has been walking alongside me through this entire journey. Even though His actual footprints aren’t present- the proof of His presence is everywhere. Easton's Impact on the world I know Easton is going to make a meaningful impact and difference in this world we live in. I just pray that I am also. I hope that a mom who has had a Down syndrome diagnosis reads this and realizes that there IS a light at the end of the dark, lonely tunnel that she is in. So to that mother: Your baby will be AMAZING. Your baby is worth it. It’s okay to feel all the emotions that you are feeling. Feel them. Embrace them. But just know, that once you have your sweet babe in your arms, you will feel so silly for feeling the way you did. You will feel as though those tears you shed were for nothing because this IS the child that you always wanted- you just might not have known it yet. Be joyful and take pride. You are on a journey you never knew you wanted to be on. But trust me, you will love it.

What is Handiplanet? Handiplanet is the social network of travel experiences shared by people with disabilities. We seek to improve the mobility of tourists who have disabilities through a social and contributory travel guide linking specific access needs to tourists with disabilities. Why did we start Handiplanet? In 2016 we wanted to travel to Greece for the holidays. We almost gave up because we couldn’t find reliable information about accessibility according to my specific degree of mobility. Due to degenerative Myopathy (a genetic disease which affects my muscles), I am in a wheelchair with a removable battery motor. But am I alone? I guess not. 80% of people with disabilities don’t travel because they can't find reliable information. That's why my brother and I created a collaborative travel guide where people with disabilities can share accessible experiences about places during their holidays according to their specific access needs. Disabled travelers create an account, complete a profile (select: electrical wheelchair, manual wheelchair, etc.) and exchange tips and relevant information with the community. Travelers can consult experiences sorted by city, type of mobility or POI (restaurant, beach, boat cruise, hotel, café, museum etc) that has been shared by other travelers who already visited the places. Travelers can also share their accessible local experiences or experiences across the world. This helps our community of travelers. Handiplanet's Mission Thanks to this social travel guide, information is reliable and encourages people with disabilities to travel. This centralized social tourist network offers customized information enabling tourists with disabilities to connect with each other. Information will be useful for future tourists with disabilities in France and across the world. Check out Handiplanet: https://handiplanet.com

כשיש רצון, יש דרך - לחיות את החיים כקטועה שמי אודרי. נולדתי לפני 33 שנה בצרפת עם ספינה ביפידה. הרופאים קטעו את רגליי בגיל צעיר. הייתי כל כך צעירה שאין לי זיכרונות מהרגליים. הרבה אנשים אומרים שזה נס, כי אני לא סובלת או צריכה להתאבל על אובדן הרגליים שלי, אבל הם טועים. שלא כמו אנשים שהפכו בעלי מוגבלות, אני מכירה את החיים האלה רק בלי רגליים. בגילי הצעיר הייתי מתגעגעת למה שלא הכרתי! עם זאת, אני חיובית באופן קיצוני. גדלתי בבית ספר לאנשים עם מוגבלות, שלימד אותי לקבל את ההבדלים ולחיות בלי להאט. בגיל 15 עברתי למרטיניק, אי קריבי קטן. הכל היה שונה שם. מעט מאוד נוצר עבור אנשים עם מוגבלויות. המקומיים לא היו רגילים לראות מישהי "שונה". הם אפילו האמינו שאני נחותה וחסרת יכולת. Where there is a will, there is a way- Living life as an amputee My name is Audrey. I was born 33 years ago in France with Spina Bifida. The doctors amputated me at a young age. I was so young that I have no memories of my legs. Many people say it's a miracle because I didn't suffer or have to mourn the loss of my legs, but they are wrong. Unlike people who become disabled, I have only known this life without legs. In my young age, I used to miss what I never knew! However, I am the kind of positive person in the extreme. I grew up in a school for people with disabilities, which taught me to accept my differences and live without being slowed down. At the age of 15 I moved to Martinique, a small Caribbean island. Everything was different there. Very little was created for people with disabilities. The locals were not used to seeing anyone "different." They even believed I was inferior and incapable. יכולה לעשות הכל גם אם אני קטועה מאז אותה תקופה בחיי, המשימה היחידה שלי היתה לשנות את התפיסה כלפי אנשים עם מוגבלות על ידי מימוש מטרות שלא ציפו שאממש. אם בית הספר לא היה נגיש בשבילי, לשם הלכתי. אם מורה לא רצה ולא ידע איך לנהוג בנוכחות סטודנט עם מוגבלות, הלכתי לכיתה שלו והקפדתי להיות התלמידה הכי טובה. אף מורה לספורט מעולם לא קיבל תלמידים עם מוגבלות. מצאתי מאמן ולמדתי הכל על ספורט. ניסיתי כדורסל, שחייה, טניס, חץ וקשת ועוד. יצרתי קשר בין המאמן שלי למורה, כך ששום ילד לעולם לא ירגיש חריג שוב ויוכל להשתתף בשיעורי ספורט. I can do anything even though I am an amputee Since that time period in my life, my only mission has been to change people's perceptions of those living with disabilities by constantly going where I wasn't expected to go. If a school didn't have access for me, that's where I went. If a teacher didn't want or know how to act in the presence of a student with a disability, I went to his/her class and made sure to be the best student. No sports teacher ever accepted students with disabilities at the time. I found a coach and learned everything possible about sports. I tried basketball, swimming, tennis, archery, etc. I created a connection between my coach and teacher so that no child will ever feel excluded again and will be able to participate in sports classes. איך שיניתי את האי מרטיניק בהיותי קטועה לאחר קבלת מספר תעודות בניהול ספורט בגיל 23, רכישת רכב משלי, בניית ביתי בגיל 26, זכייה במספר מדליות זהב באליפות הצרפתית ב-100, 200 ו-400 מ' וזכייה בתואר הספורטאית הטובה ביותר במרטיניק (בכל הקטגוריות: נכים או לא), התאפשר לי לשנות את התפיסות של אנשים על אנשים עם מוגבלויות. אני עובדת כרגע במועצה הכללית של מרטיניק ככותבת ומנהלת הפרויקט לפיתוח ספורט הנכים באי. אני אוהבת את מרטיניק עכשיו. ביקרתי במקומות שונים, נהניתי מחופים ונהרות, הלכתי למועדונים והיה לי הרבה כיף, גיליתי את המסורות והתרבות, פגשתי אנשים והייתה לי את ההזדמנות להעניק להם מהגישה החיובית שלי. זה פשוט יותר נחמד לעשות את כל זה תחת השמש הקריבית! אני לא יכולה לשנות את כל העולם, אבל יכולה לפחות לנסות! המשימה שלי עדיין לא הושלמה, אבל אתן כבר יודעות זאת היטב: אני יכולה לעשות הכל, נכון?! How Being An Amputee Changed the town of Martinique After obtaining several diplomas in sports management at the age of 23, purchasing my own vehicle, building my house at the age of 26, winning several gold medals at the French Championship (100m 200m 400m), and being honored with the title of best athlete in Martinique (all categories: disabled or not) allowed me to change people's perceptions of individuals living with disabilities. I'm currently working on the General Council of Martinique as a writer and project manager for the development of disabled sports on the island. I love Martinique now. I’ve visited many different places, enjoyed the beaches and rivers, gone to clubs and have had lots of fun, discovered the traditions and culture, met people and had the chance to give them some of my positive attitude. It's just nicer to do all that under the Caribbean sun! I may not change the whole wide world, but the least I can do is try! My mission is not yet finished, but you know it well: I can do anything, right?!