Kindle Edition Amazon The Little Engine That Did It Category:  Biography Publisher: Balboa Press ISBN-10:  1452584044 Type: Fiction Pages: 150 Copyright: October 24, 2013 ISBN-13: 9781452584041 Price: $3.99 (eBook) "The Thing About Trains Is It Doesn't Matter Where They Are Going What Matters Is to get On" The Polar Express This book is about a journey. Every one of us is on a journey that leads us into a labyrinth. The roads we travel on are not always straight; they have curves, bumps, and cracks, and travel is not easy. Even so, we continue on that road, trusting that it will lead us to someplace that answers the questions we hold. Once we get there, we understand why the path was not straight. The detours that we took were our greatest learning lessons. My journey is one of self-love. Once I started to appreciate who I was, my life began to change. I stopped pushing against my brick wall, which was, in my case, being born with cerebral palsy and fighting it for as long as I can remember. Accepting that I have cerebral palsy has enabled my life to evolve; I became humble and empowered and began to understand love. What is your journey? Has it been a straight road or a meandering one? Reflect on that for a moment. See your truth as you read through the pages of this book, and find your “aha” moment to lead you to your own empowerment. Struggling with my own disability has been my greatest teacher,” Dr. Tscherne said.  “By embracing this, I became empowered and am now able to assist and inspire others who are going through similar experiences. I remember when I was seven-years-old and hearing Kermit the Frog singing ‘It’s not easy being green’ on Sesame Street.  It resonated with me because it’s a song about being different.  It has been an ongoing theme in my life.  These experiences can either disempower or empower us. The choice is ours.”       Excerpt When I think back on my life, truly it can be said that miracles do happen. I was born 3 months premature on April 8th, 1962. I guess I was impatient to get started. Years later when I was old enough to understand, my mother would describe the events of that day to me. At 9:30 pm on every birthday she would say, “When you were born, you were so small, the priests gave you last rites twice. You were in an incubator for 6 months before they baptized you”. If you were to talk to my parents they would say my survival was due to medical science. However, if you were to talk to my grandparents who are very religious, they would say it is because I am a Sunday child and I am a miracle of God. My childhood was happy, my mother did her utmost to see that my needs were met and that I grew up as well adjusted as any other child. At around the age of two my parents realized that physically I was not developing as quickly as my peers. When most children were crawling, climbing, standing, and getting into things, I had difficulty just sitting. They decided to have me evaluated to find out if there were any problems and determine if anything could be done. I remember being taken to many specialists who poked and prodded me without coming up with an explanation of my symptoms. Undaunted, my parents continued having me evaluated until I was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition caused by an abnormality or disruption in brain development, usually due to premature birth. In my case my coordination, balance, and walking were affected. This man of science for the first time gave my parents hope for the future and became a pivotal figure for me. His name was Dr. Monroe Schneider. First, Dr. Schneider got me fitted for braces to assist me in walking. I remember them very well. They were brown, went up to my ankles and squeaked when I walked. I was four years old when I first walked. My father and I went to visit my Nana in Queens. My father put me on his shoulders as we went up the stairs to her apartment that always smelled of moth balls. My father asked if she wanted to see something that I could do, he then asked me if I wanted to walk for her, and I said yes. At this point she left the kitchen for a few minutes and came back and sat down on a chair. She had in her hand a gold coin and she said to me, "Richard, if you walk to me, I will give this coin to you". My father was behind me, he didn't hold my hand but I could feel him. My eyes were fixed on my grandmother and all I wanted to do was show her what I could do. This walk started tentatively, my first steps were unsure, but as I continued, my confidence got better and I could see my Nana's smile, she was so happy. I remember the hug she gave me; I felt so much love from her. I still have that gold coin. I have many such pleasant memories of my childhood. I remember my father's Pontiac Sky Chief four-door car. I loved that car; it was brown and white with a beige interior. It had leather seats and I can remember being with my father, playing with the radio and the leather buttons on the seats. He used to let me sit on his lap and let me steer the car. I thought I was driving, but my legs were too short to touch the pedals. My father and I spent a lot of time driving in this car, particularly when I began physical therapy. I would have to go to Brooklyn weekly to learn how to sit up and then walk. On one such excursion, my father looked at the car next to ours and told me that it was Sandy Kofax, the pitcher for the Dodgers. I remember waving and smiling at him. Of course my favorite baseball player was Mickey Mantle who played for the New York Yankees. My father liked the Yankees so, of course, I liked them too. I really didn't like going to Brooklyn. Not only would I would be poked and prodded, but my legs would be stretched in positions that hurt. I remember being examined by numerous doctors who would give their opinions on what the most appropriate treatment would be. I felt very popular and special as I sat on a table wearing a hospital gown and Dr. Schneider would introduce me to the various physicians. We did this for about two years, and after that time, Dr. Schneider met with my parents to discuss my first set of corrective surgeries. I remember it was around Halloween in October, the leaves were changing colors. My mother explained to me that one day I would be going to the hospital for a little while because I would be having an operation to help me walk. Dr. Schneider would be there and he would be the one who would help me

Arnold Schwartz
The book is inspiring, not because the author is special, but because he is like everybody else. Youth to manhood, it is about childhood friendships, school and social interactions, loves had and loves lost, driving, career choices and being an adult member of the community around us. It is a book about doing what you can with what you have been given. Everyone will see something of themselves in Richard and share the disappointments and proud moments that make us all human. Written in the first person, the book is a comfortable and easy read. The book is imperfect, just like you and me. I dare you to put it down once you start reading. As you read it, you will think often 'I need to get a copy of this book for...' (insert the names of people in your own life)


Roy Pennington
i met richard several years ago, and was immediately impressed with his big smile and positive attitude. he initially told me that "he was writing a book." i recently ran into richard again and got a copy of his book from him, signed of course.

having been involved with our local cerebral palsy organization on a state level, i am familiar with some of the issues challenging a cp kid. however, richard's writing and sharing opened a whole new perspective that i had not even considered, their emotional needs and growth processes. i inwardly smiled when i read some of richard's thoughts...as they were "normal" for every teenager growing up in today's world.

i have a cp friend who i have watched grow from childhood to 20 something-ish now. i will let him read richard's book to help him realize he is not alone.


FNF
Dr. Tscherne's story is truly inspirational. His story is told in first person and recounts all the struggles he faced in order to get where he is today. What I found most interesting was that the biggest thing holding him back was not his cerebral palsy but his own insecurities and his self-ego telling him he couldn't do it. It makes me reflect on myself and how I've held myself back many times. It's a good read, very personalized story and I would love to read more of Dr Tscherne's books when he writes his next one!