A Review of "Wonder"

If you're wondering whether or not you should see the movie Wonder, the answer is yes! Set in Manhattan, New York, Wonder is about a boy named August "Auggie" Pullman, who has mandibulofacial dysostosis, also known as Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS). Occurring in approximately one in 50,000 people, TCS is a genetic disorder in which the ears, eyes, cheekbones, and chin are deformed. Children with severe cases of TCS have breathing problems, difficulty seeing, a cleft palate, and/or hearing loss, but they are of normal intelligence. They can manage symptoms with reconstructive surgery, speech therapy, and hearing aids and other assistive devices. Life expectancy for those with TCS is normal in general. For more information about TCS, go to https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/946143-overview.

Based on R.J. Palacio's 2012 novel of the same name, Wonder (starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay as Auggie) takes us through Auggie's first year of physically going to school; he had been home-schooled prior to the fifth grade due to recovering from 27 surgeries. At first, Auggie has trouble fitting in, but he eventually makes friends and does well with his studies. By the end of the school year, he feels accepted by his classmates. Wonder is a wonderful family movie that reminds us to overcome our challenges and to be kind to everyone.

Our Pride Academy

One of the four contestants on last Tuesday's episode of the Food Network's cooking competition Chopped competed for Our Pride Academy (OPA) in Miami as his charity of choice. OPA, a non-profit organization, is a school for children aged three to adult with developmental disabilities. According to the school's Web site, OPA's goal is "to teach essential academic and daily living skills that will empower students to live independent and fulfilling lives." The teachers achieve this goal by using proven research-based techniques. OPA accepts donations, and the proceeds from the All Fore the Kids Second Annual Golf Tournament in Doral near Miami on Saturday, December 2, will go to OPA. For more information about the school, go to http://ourprideacademy.org/.

 

Image from ourprideacademy.org

Spotlight: Jeremy Haynes

At the end of last week, we observed Veterans Day in the United States. On October 30, Army Maj. Jeremy Haynes was the guest speaker at a National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) event sponsored by the Multicultural Committee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland. He became paralyzed from the waist down after being shot four times while serving as an assistant to Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene, who died in the attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 5, 2014. (Maj. Gen. Greene is the highest ranking American officer to die in combat in the Global War on Terrorism.) Beating the odds, Maj. Haynes was able to stand again three months later and now can walk a few steps with a cane, thanks to medical professionals at WRNMMC to which he was transferred after initial treatment at a medical center in Germany. Regarding NDEAM, he told his audience that people with disabilities want an opportunity to show their capabilities. For more details on this story, go to http://www.dcmilitary.com/journal/features/walter-reed-bethesda-celebrates-disability-inclusion/article_905d1427-b68e-5899-8ff4-9fc2389dc9da.html.

Girl with Special Needs Released from Custody

Rosa Maria Hernandez, a ten-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and the mental capacity of a five-year-old, was released from a children's home last Friday. On October 24, an ambulance was taking Hernandez (accompanied by an adult cousin who is a US citizen) to the hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, when it was stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint. Originally from Mexico, Hernandez arrived in the United States when she was three months old, so she is technically an undocumented immigrant. Hernandez and her cousin were escorted to the hospital where she had emergency gallbladder surgery before she was discharged into US Customs and Border Protection custody. Although she has reunited with her mother, it's possible Hernandez will be deported. This case is something to be considered in immigration debates. For more details on this story, go to http://kfor.com/2017/11/05/undocumented-girl-with-special-needs-in-federal-custody-is-released/.

 

Cerebral palsy awareness ribbon