Showing titles in People with Disabilities

Kimberly Crowe was back for the second year in a row with a world-renowned event in honor of International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022 celebrates the tremendous efforts of women and girls around the world in shaping the future. This summit was an epic, fun, connecting, and delightful one-day virtual event in celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022. Our speakers are an amazing array of women bringing their brilliance to serve the greater good and contribute their zone of genius to the world.

Damaged is a story of survivor's guilt coupled with resentment tempered by love. It reveals the changing dynamics of a family faced with an injury no one could heal. Nancy Klein was in the first trimester of her second pregnancy when she made headlines as "Coma Mom." This intimate memoir, written by Klein's sister, reveals all that happened to her and her family after the news cycle moved on. The family: a mother who never gave up hope, even when hope was long gone, and a father who couldn't live without his wife's love.

Shock. That was Darla's first reaction when her carefree childhood was disrupted by cancer. Her life became a roller coaster of intense emotions. Sadly, she lost her leg and, ultimately, faced death. During her illness, we shared difficult times, but also great times celebrating life as Darla grew in faith and joy. She lived in the present (not worrying about her past or future) and was very positive. Darla was a joy to be with because she was joyful!

Why the Cane? is a personal memoir which recounts the true story of a man’s regaining a level of activity he thought would not be possible after a devastating injury. It chronicles his medical journey, the upheaval suffered by his family, and the counsel and support which shifted his focus and provided a framework to make thoughtful decisions for the long term.

As a US Army infantryman in World War II, Don Wedewer was twice wounded in four days. On both occasions, he was left for dead. Now he was a double amputee and blind with seemingly no hope for the future. Yet through extraordinary determination and persistence, this highly decorated combat veteran overcame seemingly impossible odds to become a state and national leader in providing opportunities for those with visions loss. This is Don Wedewer's story. For more information visit www.bravestguy.com.

After two decades of suffering with the mental disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder, Derek has reached his breaking point. His past attempts to find inner peace had lead him astray. At last he longs for a life of ease and tolerance without the handicap his illness brings. Enter the next phase of his life as he copes with obstacles ahead in this true story. Follow his path to recovery as he seeks help, wisdom, and clarity to rise above what has grounded him for so long.

In January 2016, life took an unexpected turn for Marilyn Miller Lowry when a stroke abruptly had her asking those questions—and more. In the years since, Lowry examined her life and made dramatic changes that opened up more possibilities than she ever imagined. Grateful to be able to author A Stroke of Magic, Lowry uses her background as a counselor to share candid observations of the trauma that comes with unexpected physical disability.

From childhood stutterer to inspirational speaker! The Courage to Shine is a powerful and inspirational memoir by Eileen Forrestal, a former anesthesiologist who transformed her life. After a lifetime of "putting people to sleep", Eileen is now in the business of "waking people up" as a writer, speaker, and coach. In The Courage to Shine, Eileen retraces her journey. She shares her childhood trauma of an accidental overdose of junior aspirin that led to her subsequent speech impediment, the embarrassment of which caused her to hide her voice in silent shame.

This is my story. After a lifetime of trying to help everyone else get their lives together, I have finally figured out how to get mine together. I am now 72 years old, semi-retired from a business I created to help young adults with autism function in the world. I live in Mexico with my loving partner. I have fulfilling relationships with my adult children and grandchildren.

2020 was a hard year for everyone. In this journal, learn how one woman experienced the pandemic while also having to deal with the effects of having bipolar disorder. From the book: "Truth is best expressed as silence. Words are our creations. They come and go, live and die. They are incapable of expressing what is real. This has been a journal of a false identity assuming itself to be real. From this new vantage point, I see how I am creating this story. Today I start a new chapter. Or maybe it is just a page. Even if I could just cobble together a sentence. Make it meaningful!"

This is book about a man with MS who must learn to make light of his life to bring light to life. Josh got MS at the age of 28 and at that moment he was almost 400 lbs married, straight, and was in a dark place where he tried to commit suicide multiple times. But then he turned his life around and lost 200lbs, got a divorce, came out of the closet, and began stand-up comedy. This brought the light back into his life, gave him a platform to share his story and spread awareness about MS.

Theirs was an unlikely life together. Sheila gave birth to Josephine on 11th May 1993 and for twenty-three years they co-existed in a loving mother-daughter relationship, but one with a difference. Josephine suffered catastrophic brain injury at birth, never spoke to Sheila, rarely smiled and was barely able to see the faces of the people who loved her.

Just like fox, Heidi has lived on the outer. The ‘official record’ of her life has been her mental health record: primary diagnosis – schizoaffective; comorbidity – major depression, juvenile autism and not her own memories. This is the living, breathing version of Heidi’s mental health file that psych wards, doctors, mental health staff or rehab workers know little about or worse, use as evidence of diagnoses. This is Heidi’s account of what happened, shadowed by the story of a fox who knows he'll never belong.

This is my true life story growing up with dyslexia. How I almost allowed dyslexia to destroy my life. The education system failed me. I slipped through the cracks. Dyslexia controlled most of my life. I could still have a life without reading and writing. I was able to get married. Raise a family and run my own business. How my whole world changed overnight. For 62 years, I stayed silent.

On July 4th, 2013, Connor Sparrowhawk, also known as Laughing Boy or LB, was found dead in a specialist NHS unit. Connor, who had autism and epilepsy, had a seizure while in the bath, and no member of staff was on hand to stop him from drowning. An entirely preventable death. Sara Ryan presents a frank, sometimes funny and touching account of her son's early life and preventable death and the unfolding #JusticeforLB campaign.

From non-verbal to radio announcer, Good Morning, Blake: Growing Up Autistic and Being Okay lays bare—from cradle to adulthood—the myriad steps Blake has taken to find his voice and rightful place in society.

I moved to Alaska with less than two weeks' notice to save my grandparent's lives. With Parkinson's disease, diabetes, heart failure, high cholesterol, blood clots, and more to contend with, I have quite the task at hand. I will use holistic healing modalities to prolong and improve the quality of my family's life, all while living on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. Ultimately I realized while writing this book that love is the answer to all of life's questions. Love can cure all.

Caleb Hudson had always taken things like breathing on his own, feeding himself, and walking as guarantees, but sometimes life changes in the blink of an eye. Faced with the uncertainties of paralysis, Caleb, as well as his parents and sister, must find a new way to not only survive but thrive.

February 29th is a date that comes into existence just once every four years. It is also the birthday of Thais - author Anne-Dauphine Julliand's darling daughter - who died of a genetic disease. Thais lived just shy of her fourth birthday. She had a short life but good one. As this special day is about to reappear on her calendar for the first time since her daughter passed away, Anne-Dauphine struggles with how to mark this momentous occasion. She wants to live fully on this special day: Thais would have been eight years old.

Most sixteen year-old kids joyride in Daddy's pickup. Not Brian Thomas. Instead, you find him out buzzing the football team in Daddy's airplane. Flying is his life - it's in his blood. Both of his parents are pilots. His older brother is in the Air Force. And he can't imagine himself as anything but an aviator. That is, until the bleeding disorder he's battled since he was two years old sidelines him.