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An Update: Jodie's Story (By Jodie, Aged 12 1/2, As Told By Her Big Sister, Stephanie, aged 17) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Saturday, May 22, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
Jodie, through the eyes of her older sister, Stephanie, lets us know what has been happening in her life.
I have so much to be thankful for. I have a family who loves me and takes care of me and my needs, and I have many wonderful friends at school, and I have so many opportunities to be among people!
This may not seem like much to a lot of people, but I am in a wheelchair, and I can't walk or talk all that much because of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which has affected my limbs, my ability to communicate effectively, and even my head. I can't hold my head or body up without help, and I am in a wheelchair. I am also mentally handicapped, and I don't know a lot; but somehow I manage to surprise people (and even myself!) and learn new and interesting things every day! I am learning to talk, and I am learning new words each and every day, and learning to talk has opened up a whole new world for me. When I was not able to express myself before, I am now able to let people know how I am feeling or what I need, and all of a sudden my life has gotten a lot better and a heck of a lot easier, too, besides!
While I will never be able to walk on my own or go to the bathroom without help, or feed myself (I eat by way of a stomach tube), I still can do a lot of things. I still can laugh, cry, or let people know that I am more than "a kid in a wheelchair" and have feelings, too, just like they do, and I still can appreciate a good book, a good movie, or a good joke, and I can learn about Jesus at church and know that He loves even me, even though I may not seem like "much" to other people.
I will never understand why people are so scared of me whenever they see me. I am not a monster or a freak, and whenever people stare at me or give me ugly faces or say things at me, they don't realize that I can hear their talk, and even though I may not be able to express myself that well, I still know what they are saying, and I can hear them saying bad things about me, and it really hurts my feelings! I am a person, too, just like they are, and even though I may not be able to do a lot of things for myself, I am still able to hear, think, see, even feel! I am a REAL person, NOT some piece of plastic!
In July, I will be 13 years old. I will become a teenager, although I don't look any older than six; but I AM getting bigger and taller (slowly), and I AM starting to get boobs, and I AM starting to have "things" happening "down there" (the woman's private area), and it is all very scary and confusing, and it means that I am growing up, even though my body may not show it very well. I look more like a young kid of six than a teenager, and people always tend to treat me younger than my true age, and it makes me mad!
I will be in the seventh grade come school time, and I will be leaving grade school and will start junior high. More new and exciting adventures for me! I can't wait!! I will still be in the Special Needs class, and I will still need the aides and extra help, but it is a sure sign that I *AM* growing up, and I am no longer the little girl I once was, even though I may LOOK like one and may not know a lot of things because of my mental handicaps.
When I get older, I would like to go to college and become a writer or a painter. I have seen people with C.P. write books or paint pictures, and some of them are as bad off as me, maybe even more so; and I figure that if THEY can do great things, then I, Jodette Faith Kay Sandusky, aged nearly 13 years of age, can, too!! Maybe I will write a best selling book, be another Danielle Steel or J.K. Rowling (she's the lady who did the "Harry Potter" books)!
Life is still busy for me. I still go to church every week, still go to school every Monday through Friday (although next week is our last week, and then it's SUMMER VACATION TIME until after Labor Day! WHEEEEEEEEEE!!), and I still go on vacations with my family! I also go to therapy every week and I go to my doctor's, and so far, I am doing pretty good, all things considering! I haven't been sick since the winter time, and I haven't been in the hospital either! So life for me right now is very peachy, indeed!
Well, I gotta' go; I think I just messed in my diapers again. ICK! I HATE it when I do that!! It's so smelly, and it feels WORSE!! ICK!! I will have to let mama know about it if she doesn't smell me first! 'Bye!
~Love, Jodie Kaye, aged 12 1/2.
P.S.: We recently went to the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, where we heard a LOT of that wonderful Cajun music and where I smelled all that wonderful Cajun food cooking! YUM!! Made my mouth water like Niagara Falls, and it made me wish that I didn't have to HAVE my stupid stomach tube!! GRRR!! (I sure do miss out on a lot having this stupid thing in my belly!) And next month, we go to Fan Fair here in Nashville. We go every year, and it's a lot of fun, especially meeting all those country music stars! WHEEE!!! CAN'T wait!!
I agree with Tinka! You should NEVER
judge a book by its cover! Excellent story!
I shall be thinking of her!
Thanks for review on "Saving Grace"!
The one I did with Peter Paton!
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
I have so much to be thankful for. I have a family who loves me and takes care of me and my needs, and I have many wonderful friends at school, and I have so many opportunities to be among people!
