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As a teenager, Joni Eareckson Tada enjoyed riding horses, hiking, tennis, and swimming. On July 30, 1967, she dove into Chespeake Bay after misjudging the shallowness of the water. She suffered a fracture between the fourth and fifth cervical levels and became aquadriplegic paralysed from the shoulders down.
During her two years of rehabilitation, according to her autobiography, she experienced anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, and religious doubts. However, Tada learned to paint with a brush between her teeth, and began selling her artwork. To date, she has written over forty books, recorded several musical albums, starred in an autobiographical movie of her life, and is an advocate for disabled people.
I have posted this because Joni is an absolute inspiration to us all & also in the early 80's whilst working in the community whilst serving a Borstal sentence I met someone very similar to Joni. Christine was quadriplegic too and on my last day working at the hospital before I was released from Borstal the next morning we made a pact to keep in touch & we did just that. I used to visit her weekly and take her out. The first occassion we were chaperoned by a nurse as Christine has to be fed & toileted. At the end of the day whilst I put Christine to bed they discussed future days out & I passed the test. I would take her out weekly after that.
Christine would type articles by way of a pencil in her mouth to tap the keyboard characters like a woodpecker lol.
During her two years of rehabilitation, according to her autobiography, she experienced anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, and religious doubts. However, Tada learned to paint with a brush between her teeth, and began selling her artwork. To date, she has written over forty books, recorded several musical albums, starred in an autobiographical movie of her life, and is an advocate for disabled people.
I have posted this because Joni is an absolute inspiration to us all & also in the early 80's whilst working in the community whilst serving a Borstal sentence I met someone very similar to Joni. Christine was quadriplegic too and on my last day working at the hospital before I was released from Borstal the next morning we made a pact to keep in touch & we did just that. I used to visit her weekly and take her out. The first occassion we were chaperoned by a nurse as Christine has to be fed & toileted. At the end of the day whilst I put Christine to bed they discussed future days out & I passed the test. I would take her out weekly after that.
Christine would type articles by way of a pencil in her mouth to tap the keyboard characters like a woodpecker lol.