Spotlight: Katherine Wolf

On April 21, 2008, former model and actress Katherine Wolf's life changed dramatically. Six months after her first son James's birth, Wolf had a massive brain stem stroke at age 26 due to an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). She survived a long micro-brain surgery and eventually relearned how to eat, talk, and walk short distances. She beat the odds by giving birth to her second son John in 2015. Wolf and her husband Jay (who live in Atlanta with their sons) are motivational speakers who established a non-profit ministry and a summer camp for people with disabilities and their families called Hope Heals (also the title of their first book). The Wolfs' second book Suffer Strong was published in February. Despite having lingering effects of her stroke (a paralyzed face, double vision, and issues with the right side of her body), Wolf has a positive outlook on life. For more information, go to her website https://www.hopeheals.com/.

Katherine Wolf
(image via southernliving.com)

Celebrate Earth Day with an Accessible Garden

Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day. One way you can commemorate that day is starting an accessible garden. This type of garden is elevated so you can have access to it with your walker or wheelchair. One example is a U-shaped garden bed that rests on a table. There is also a rolling garden that can be moved outdoors or indoors as needed. To decide what to plant in your garden, you should do research on which flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables grow best in your geographic region. Gardening can be a fun and relaxing way to spend time in nature; it helps some people deal with illness or depression. Watching plants bloom gives one a sense of accomplishment. For more information about accessible gardens, go to https://nmeda.com/handicapped-accessible-garden/. Spring into action with an accessible garden!

A man working on his accessible garden

(image via gardentech.com)

Spotlight: Ryan Chen

Ryan Chen is the cofounder of Neuro (https://getneuro.com/), a seller of gum and mints that energize or calm people. At age 19, he became paralyzed from the waist down after landing hard on his back while snowboarding. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Chen eventually completed a bachelor's degree in chemistry and economics. He trained with the U.S. Paralympic wheelchair racing team and worked as a data analyst for Hulu before beginning his collaboration with Kent Yoshimura on Neuro five years ago. Chen and Yoshimura pitched their company on last Friday's episode of Shark Tank. They declined both of the offers made to them, but national exposure of their products will likely boost sales. For more information about Chen, read the transcript of a Q&A session with him and Yoshimura at https://www.morelabs.com/blogs/trailblazers/ryan-chen-kent-yoshimura.

Speaking of "neuro," today is International Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Awareness Day. An FND is a medical condition that impairs the nervous system, leading to a variety of physical, sensory, and cognitive symptoms. To learn more, go to https://fndhope.org/.

Yoshimura and Chen being interviewed

(image via strv.com)

Birthday Celebrations During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Today is my 34th birthday. I'm not celebrating it with anyone other than my parents because of social distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, I'm feeling the love from relatives and friends who have sent me cards, called me, and posted birthday wishes on Facebook. Keeping in mind the increasing number of coronavirus deaths, I'm thankful for another year of life.

Some people are celebrating their birthdays in creative ways. For example, virtual birthday parties are being held on Zoom, an application that enables people from all over the world to have online meetings. They can see each other through their webcams. I sometimes use Zoom for work. (To download Zoom onto your computer and use its basic features for free, go to https://zoom.us/.)

Another trending birthday celebration is the drive-by party (parade) during which relatives and friends in their vehicles pass by someone's house while holding signs, playing music, and/or waving and yelling out birthday wishes. Visitors can leave a cake and gifts by the birthday boy or girl's front door.

These ideas are applicable to people with disabilities if parties are challenging for them. For more quarantine birthday celebration ideas, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/coronavirus-birthday-party.html.

I celebrating my birthday at home

(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)

Spotlight: Lieutenant Dan (2020 Cadbury Bunny)

I recently had the pleasure of eating a Cadbury Creme Egg a friend gave me. Last week, a treeing walker coonhound named Lieutenant Dan was announced as this year's Cadbury Bunny. Lieutenant Dan of New Richmond, Ohio, was named after Gary Sinise's character in Forrest Gump, one of my favorite movies. This dog is unique in that he uses a wheelchair because his hind paws and tail were amputated due to a birth defect. Wearing a bunny ears headband, Lieutenant Dan received more online votes than the other seven finalists, which included a hamster, a llama, and a duck. He will appear in a Cadbury commercial soon. Lieutenant Dan's owner Laura Weber is the recipient of $5,000, and Cadbury made a $10,000 donation to the ASPCA in his honor. For more details on this story, go to https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/us/lieutenant-dan-cadbury-bunny-winner-trnd/index.html.

Lieutenant Dan the dog

(image via delish.com)

Coronavirus Information for People with Disabilities

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been in the news a lot lately. The most commonly listed symptoms of this respiratory illness are a fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one group of people who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus is people with disabilities.

There are ways you can lower your risk. You should wash your hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds on a regular basis. This should be done especially after going to the bathroom and blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing into a tissue, which should be disposed of after use. (If it's too difficult for you to wash your hands at a sink due to a physical disability, you can use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.) You should also clean assistive products (e.g., wheelchairs and canes) and commonly touched surfaces. To prevent the coronavirus from entering your body, don't touch your mouth, nose, and eyes. When you're in a room with other people, stay six feet away from them. If you need assistance with activities of daily living, you need to have a back-up plan for your care in case your caregiver gets sick.

To learn more about the coronavirus as it pertains to people with disabilities, read the article located at https://news.yahoo.com/the-coronavirus-and-people-with-disabilities-214936915.html. For updated COVID-19 information, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Be well.

A microscopic view of the coronavirus

(image via cdc.gov)

Wheeling Around the Brevard Zoo

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Brevard Zoo, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was a beautiful day outside. I was able to move through the zoo in my electric wheelchair with no problem. I could see various animals. The animal I enjoyed observing the most was a giraffe named Greg, who ate lettuce leaves from some of the people around me. Before leaving the zoo through its gift shop, I ate a tasty burger and fries for lunch at the Nourish 321 outdoors cafe, where there are two handicap accessible picnic tables.

I'm pleased with the accessibility of the Brevard Zoo. Only a few parts of the zoo, such as kayaking and Treetop Trek, are inaccessible. If you don't have your own mobility device, you can rent a wheelchair or an electric conveyance vehicle from Guest Services. This department also provides sensory bags to visitors with sensory processing disorder. The sensory bags contain a weighted lap pad, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys among other items. Wheelchair users can access the elevated walkway of the Rainforest Revealed section by the use of a lift. Children with special needs can play and learn about animals in the zoo's Exceptional Nature Space established in 2017. Those with autism spectrum disorders can download from the Brevard Zoo's website a social story that describes how they can have an enjoyable experience.

The Brevard Zoo plans to stay open despite coronavirus concerns. However, starting tomorrow, the Wildlife Detective Training Academy and the Paws On Petting Zone will be closed temporarily, and zoo visitors will not be allowed to participate in animal feedings until further notice. If you have questions about the zoo's accessibility, you can contact inclusion coordinator Lindsay Mathisen at lmathisen@brevardzoo.org. For more information about this wonderful attraction, go to https://brevardzoo.org/.

I by the Brevard Zoo map

(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)