AMPUTEE SUPPORT GROUP OF
NORTHERN VIRGINIA NEWSLETTER
|
Monthly Meetings: |
First Tuesday of every month,
7:30-9:00 p.m., Telestar Court Building, Gemini Room, 2990 Telestar Court,
Falls Church, Virginia |
|
Contacts: |
Beth Harris, 540-439-3656,
betheharris@earthlink.net Joce Graham, 703-256-0245,
asgnva@earthlink.net Daphne Burroughs, 703-369-2615 |
|
Web Page: |
www.inova.org/rehabilitation/amputee_support.htm
|
|
Mailing
Address: |
c/o Beth Harris, 6316 Sumerduck Rd.,
Remington, VA 22734-2308 |
Support Group Meeting
Jason Bulger of Nascott Rehabilitation, Joce and Pat Graham, Beth Harris, Eugenia (Gene) Thatcher and our guest speaker, Greg Wright, CPO, Us Orthotics and Prosthetics of Fredericksburg, VirginiaWe waited for some time, chatting about this and that, to see if more people would show up, and finally started the meeting at about 7:50 p.m.
Greg gave us a wonderful presentation, with lots of individualized helpful hints, about working with your prosthetist. He noted the difference between the needs of a new amputee versus an experienced amputee for the expediency of services from a prosthetist. He also gave Joce and Gene lots of helpful hints about self-adjusting their prostheses as both of them are relatively new amputees and are still dealing with a lot of swelling as the day goes on. Pat Graham, Joce’s husband, must have asked Greg a million questions; it’s nice to have a “second opinion” about various prosthetic issues. Thanks, Greg, for making the trip up Route 95 to talk to us. The people who attended appreciated it and got a lot out of your presentation.
Next month (December) we have a presentation by Hoveround. One of ASGNVA’s members requested this presentation. Hoveround is a brand of power chair that is supposed to be one of the lightest weight and most maneuverable of all of the power chairs. We’ll have a hand-on demonstration of the Hoveround and be able to decide for ourselves.
News and Announcements
The
Accessible Environments Study — The RecTech project seeks participants
for its Accessible Environments study. Accessible Environments aims to increase
access to fitness centers, parks, swimming pools, and trails for persons with
disabilities. The study involves accessibility assessment, identifying access
issues and barriers, and developing strategies to remove or lessen the impact
of these barriers. Project staff seek individuals with links to their
communities to help recruit persons with disabilities as well as fitness and
recreation facilities to serve as study sites. Such individuals may work in
independent living centers, fitness and recreation organizations, disability
organizations, or universities.
For more information, contact Dr. Barth Riley, Project Director, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, at 312-355-4054, or e-mail barthr@uic.edu.
FDA Announces the Use of New Electronic Drug Labels to Help Better Inform the Public and Improve Patient Safety — In a continuing effort to use modern information technology to help inform the public and health care providers and to further improve patient safety, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today began requiring drug manufacturers to submit prescription drug label information to FDA in a new electronic format. This electronic format will allow health care providers and the general public to more easily access the product information found in the FDA-approved package inserts ("labels") for all approved medicines in the United States.
"Providing health care providers and patients with clear, concise information about their prescriptions will help ensure safe use of drugs and better health outcomes," said Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. "Now medication information will be easy to access on a publicly available web site, and this will lead to future innovations with health information technology."
These new electronic product labels
will be the key element and primary source of medication information for
"DailyMed" -- a new interagency online health information
clearinghouse that will provide the most up-to-date medication information free
to consumers, health care providers and health care information providers. This
information can be accessed through the National Library of Medicine at http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. In the future,
this new product information will also be provided through facts@fda.gov, a
comprehensive Internet resource designed to give one-stop access for
information about all FDA-regulated products.
Under regulations that became effective
today, drug manufacturers are now required to submit to FDA prescribing and
product information (i.e., the package insert or label) in a structured product
labeling (SPL) format that provides accurate, up-to-date drug information using
standardized medical terminology in a readable, accessible format. Using
embedded computer tags, the prescribing and product information in the SPL
format can be electronically managed, allowing a user to search for specific
information. These tags can instruct computers to read specific sections of a
drug label including product names, indications, dosage and administration,
warnings, description of drug product, active and inactive ingredients, and how
the drug is supplied.
With this information, physicians will
be able to quickly search and access specific information they need before
prescribing a treatment, resulting in fewer prescribing errors and
better-informed decision-making. In addition, having the labels submitted to
FDA in SPL will improve the FDA drug labeling review process, so that FDA can
provide immediate access to the most recent information about medications to
doctors and patients.
Holiday Safety: Avoiding Carjacking — You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all your doors, start the engine, shift into REVERSE, and look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space and you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into PARK, unlock your doors and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view.
When you reach the back of your car, the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off! Your engine was running (women would have had their purse in the car), and the carjackers practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.
Just drive away and remove the paper that is stuck to your window later.
As the holidays are creeping upon us, our minds are usually somewhere else when we walk to our cars and our hands are full of packages ... so take extra care and, if you know you are going to be walking by yourself to your car and your hands are full of packages, ask one of the store employees to help take your things to the car. An ounce of safety never hurts - especially if you are also toting packages with small children in tow as well. If the clerk can’t do it, ask for the store manager - they will be more than happy to assist you, especially if you shopped at their store.
Fairfax Co. Board of Supervisors Approves Tax Relief Increase —- The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently approved an increase to the amount of net assets that seniors and people with disabilities may have from $240,000 to the state maximum of $340,000 (not including the value of the home, its furnishings and up to one acre of land). The income limit was increased from $52,000 to the fixed state maximum of $72,000. The real estate tax relief changes are retroactive to all of tax year 2005, and the board also extended the deadline to apply for 2005 until Dec. 31, 2006 for first-time filers and cases of hardship.
Seniors 65 years and older and those who are permanently and totally disabled who owned and occupied their residences in Fairfax County as of Dec. 31 of the preceding year may qualify for real estate tax relief from the county if they meet income and financial qualifications. Applications and information can be obtained weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. by calling 703-222-8234, TTY 703-222-7594, or online any time at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/pdf_files/2005TaxRelief.pdf.
Accessible Condominiums in the First-Time Homebuyers Program in Fairfax County —- The Fairfax County First-Time Homebuyers Program provides homeownership opportunities to eligible applicants. Several new condominiums will be offered through the program for people who have mobility impairments. Eligible applicants are those who have not owned a home in the past three years; have a household income of at least $25,000 and are also below the maximum income limits based on family size.
There are four steps to enter the program: 1) attend the Orientation for the First-Time Homebuyers Program; 2) attend a certified homeownership class; 3) meet with a lender to obtain a conditional letter of approval; and 4) attend the Application Session. To expedite this process, you can go through the orientation and the application session one-on-one.
Some units may be offered fairly soon, so please contact Kathy Jones as soon as possible if you are interested at 703-246-5091, TTY 711, or e-mail at Kathleen.jones@fairfaxcounty.gov. You can also call the general information line at 703-246-5087, TTY 711. If you do not meet the minimum income, you may apply for the Housing Choice Voucher program for rental units now. A program that moves people from Housing Choice Voucher to homeownership may be expanding in the near future.
ASGNVA Funds and Contributions —
I have been unable to verify, after repeated requests, if there have been any
contributions to ASGNVA Fund 352 since August. If you have made a contribution to ASGNVA’s
fund and I have not noted it here, please let me know so that I can check on
it.
This
is ASGNVA’s fund to publish/mail our newsletter and New Amputee Information Packets. ASGNVA does not charge any dues.
If you can, please make a
contribution today.
To
obtain a contribution form, call 703-289-2072.
To
contribute by check or money order, Payable to Inova Foundation Fund 352, Inova Health System Foundation, 8110
Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042.
To
contribute by credit card, https://connect.inova.com/j/inovanet.srt/forms/donation/donatenow.htm.
Remember to indicate Inova Foundation Fund
352.
ASGNVA Web Pages — Inova
Fairfax Hospital’s official ASGNVA web page:
www.inova.org/inovapublic.srt/rehabilitation/amputee_support.htm.
The ASGNVA UNOFFICIAL WEB PAGE: home.earthlink.net/~asgnva/ASGNVA.html.
Newsletters and other information will
continue to be added to the unofficial web page, as applicable. Contact Beth
Harris, 540-439-3656 or asgnva@earthlink.net,
if you want anything added to the page, find something missing or wrong, etc.
ASGNVA Lending Library — Come to a
meeting and borrow a book and pick up the new handouts. To borrow materials
from ASGNVA’s Lending Library, please contact Jason Bulger or Beth Harris (see contact list on page 1).
Services and Products
Extend A Hand Grab Bar
Locking Assistance Device − Extend A Hand
is two assistive fall prevention products in one. Falls in the home are the number one
factor in causing people to face added costs in medical and/or therapy
expenses. Falls in the home are also a reason for moves into retirement and
assisted living facilities. When you seek solutions for your home, or loved
ones, Extend A Hand provides you a quality assistive device with satisfaction guaranteed!Sariff Systems, Inc. is the patent owner and manufacturer of Extend a Hand; the world's ONLY locking extension assistance grab bar DME (durable medical equipment) device. The locking extension system is designed to increase stability and safety for the end user. Extend a Hand is a product that can be utilized in homes, apartments, retirement apartments and communities, assisted living facilities, advanced assisted living facilities, adult family homes, nursing homes, therapy centers, and hospitals. The general public will find advantages to using the Extend A Hand in boats, RVs, motor homes and hot tub areas.
Through visiting many facilities and managing his as well, it came to Extend A Hand President, Larry Sariff's attention that the traditional grab bar didn't aid the user enough. In most applications people cannot reach conventional grab bars with both hands from a sitting position. They lack an ergonomic design, thus the overall design does not capture its main objective - reducing risk of falls.
The safety of residents and staff of an assisted living facility was the inspiration for building the first 'extend a hand' product. The results, after installation and testing of the prototype, far exceeded expectations. Not only were the goals of added safety for the residents accomplished, but also a greater level of independence was achieved for the residents, giving them renewed dignity. An added benefit to the facility was a decrease in chance of injury to the staff resulting from overexertion while maneuvering residents. Ultimately, residents were able to stay within the assisted care facility longer before moving on to a full care facility. That prototype led to the industry tested and approved Extend A Hand product offered today.
Basically, the conventional grab bar doesn't aid you enough, 1&1/2-inches off the wall makes them hard to reach and limits mobility in obtaining a two-hand grasp. Extend A Hand offers a 12-inch locking extension off the wall, easier to reach and promotes a two-hand grasp. It becomes a secure resting spot for individuals - a superior solution over conventional grab bars.
Bathroom assistance for getting in and out of the shower or assistance to get on and off the commode is the primary use. But, other areas of your home exposes you to 'at-risk' for falls as well. Extend A Hand can lessen risk to falls anywhere you may need assistance to promote a greater sense of balance for mobility and control. Extend A Hand is a small ounce of prevention when compared to the possible accrued cost after a fall. With prices starting below $56.00, the 12-inch locking extension gives you closer assistance and also provides you the ability to have a two-hand grasp. Conventional grab bars are limited to one side; they limit mobility for maneuvering and cause some people to require additional assistance. Pushing yourself requires more upper body strength compared with pulling yourself with both hands.
Benefits − The home consumer's benefit is added safety from a fall. Extend A Hand increases your leverage for balance control. The 12-inch locking extension makes it easier to reach compared with conventional grab bars. If the 12-inch extension is not needed, it folds down, out of the way, exposing a conventional grab bar that is built into every Extend A Hand.
Ergonomic Feel − Our folding and locking grab bar is in front of the end-user, something they can reach with both hands to obtain a two-hand grasp for lowering or pulling while keeping the upper body torso aligned. Pull and lower yourself, or just stand, confident in knowing that Extend A Hand is there for you or a loved one.
Patent and Certifications Awarded; New Advanced Grab Bar Creates Greater Safety!
- National Association
of Home Builders Certification Received; 10/2000
- BOTH ADA and
Bathroom Safety compliant in ASTM F446-93 standards
- Recognized as a
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) product by SADMERC; 10/2001
- Medicaid
Reimbursement Rates are State Regulated
· 4 Sizes (11"x12", 16"x12", 24"x12" & 32"x12")
· 2 Finishes (White and Stainless Steel)
To review the advantages Extend A Hand brings to the consumer, please visit the web site at http://www.extendahand.com or contact Sariff Systems via their toll free telephone number (877-398-3635) to request additional information.
Advocacy and Self-Help
Call
To Action From the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) − As many of
you know, several ACA activities are supported through a cooperative agreement
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through that
agreement, ACA is able to run the National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC),
provide resources for peer support, etc.
Like all federal government programs, the NLLIC must receive
“appropriations" from Congress every year. Currently, Congress is in
the process of trying to determine how much funding to provide each
program. Fortunately, both the House and Senate have provided level
funding (the same as last year) for the NLLIC. However, as they move
through the final stages of the legislative process, we must make sure that
Members of Congress hear from us.
A simple phone call or letter to one
of your Members of Congress, asking them to provide level funding for the NLLIC
might just help. The number listed below is for the Capitol
Switchboard. Just call that number, ask for your Senator or Congressman's
office, and they will connect you to that office. Once you're connected,
ask Congressman/Senator X to please ensure that the NLLIC is not cut while
being reviewed by the Appropriations Committee.
Here is a sample
script that you can use or just simply speak from your heart. Timing is critical so please try to make
your calls as soon as possible.
As a (friend,
member, someone who is aware of what the ACA is trying to achieve) of the
Amputee Coalition of America, I am calling to urge Senator/Congressman
___________ to support funding for the National Limb Loss Information Center
within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Limb loss is a significant medical,
economic and social issue. Every year, approximately 185,000 Americans
have part or all of a limb amputated. More than 1.5 million individuals
are living their daily lives managing the consequences of amputation.
Amputation may be the result of an
accident, cancer, or birth defect, but is most frequently caused by vascular
disease and is often caused by diabetes. Furthermore, many soldiers
returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered limb loss as a result of
their service to our country.
Regardless of the cause for
amputation, people with limb loss have many physical, emotional, and medical needs.
The CDC’s National Limb Loss Information Center helps meet these needs by
providing resources and support to help people with limb loss reintegrate
socially and economically into society.
This program was level-funded in both the House and Senate Labor, Health
and Human Services and Education Appropriations bills.
I hope that Congressman/Senator
___________ will fight to ensure that this critical program remains funded.
Member Updates
Elizabeth Seymore — Currently, Elizabeth is in an assisted living center while
she undergoes rehabilitation for an amputation. She is doing well, while the days are very challenging and tiring
for her. We wish her well in her rehabilitation
and send her encouraging thoughts.
All member updates are welcome. Please call or e-mail with your updates,
news and/or information so that it can be included here (see contact list on
page 1). Thanks!
Scheduled Events
2006
Disability Policy Seminar — Save the date - February 6-8,
2006! The Disability Policy
Collaboration, a joint initiative of The ARC and United Cerebral Palsy, will be
hosting their 2006 Disability Policy Seminar at the Capital Hilton Hotel in
Washington, DC, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, February 6, 7 and 8, 2006.
Seminar
participants will learn what is really happening in national politics,
particularly on policies that impact people with disabilities. The first two
days will feature discussions that will provide answers to the following tough
questions:
·
Is Medicaid on the
budgetary chopping block?
·
Will Social Security
reform and privatization be on the table for Congress?
·
What is going on
with the new Medicare prescription drug coverage?
·
What
programs/services will be funded (or de-funded) in the fiscal year 2007 budget?
Other possible issues to be discussed
include Tax Reform, Employment, Disability Rights, Housing, and Transportation.
The
third day of the seminar will present participants with an opportunity to spend
a day on Capitol Hill to educate Members of Congress and their staff on these
and other issues that are important to the disability community.
For more information, e-mail Richard Price, Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy, at price@thedpc.org or call The ARC at (202) 783-2229 or UCP at (800) 872-5827.
ASGNVA Monthly Meeting —
|
Meeting
Date |
Planned
Event for the Meeting |
|
|
December 6,
2004 |
The
Hoveround Chris from
the Hoveround Corp., will show Hoverounds and answer questions |
|
|
January 4, 2005 |
Video: The Fairfax County Disability Services Board – Their purpose
and services |
|
|
In The Works |
How Exercise and Flexibility Can Help
Amputees Maintain Mobility and Minimize Pain |
|
|
In The Works |
The Americans With Disabilities Act
and What It Means To You |
The next monthly meeting is December 6,
2005. Do you have a subject or topic for a meeting? Please contact Beth Harris
at 540-439-3656 or asgnva@earthlink.net.
All suggestions are welcome.
Calendar of Events for 2005 —
 |
|
|
1-30 |
Diabetic Eye Disease
Month, Prevent Blindness
America, 211 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL, 60606, (800)
331-2020, info@preventblindness.org,
www.preventblindness.org,
Materials available. Contact: PBA
Consumer and Patient Hotline 
American Diabetes Month, American Diabetes Association, 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA, 22311, (800) DIABETES (342-2383), askada@diabetes.org, www.diabetes.org, Materials available. Contact: Local Affiliates |
|
1 |
Amputee Support Group of
Northern Virginia (ASGNVA)
– First Tuesday of the month, 7:30-9:00 p.m., 2990 Telestar Court Building,
Gemini Room, Falls Church, VA. Contact Beth Harris, 540-439-3656,
betheharris@earthlink.net or asgnva@earthlink.net. How Do You
Know When It’s Time To Call Your Prosthetist?
Presentation by Greg Wright, CPO, Us Orthotics & Prosthetics   HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US – WE ALWAYS HAVE FUN! |
|
4-5 |
World
Of Possibilities Disabilities Expo And Senior Expo 2005
Friday, November 4, 2005, 10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.,  and Saturday, November 5, 2005, 10:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Landmark Mall, Alexandria, Virginia. |
|
5 |
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO SAMI MASSOUS!  |
|
9 |
 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DOUG SLOAN! |
|
29 |
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO PATRICIA SHAFER AND TOM MERCER!  |
 |
|
|
2 |
 HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO SHERMAN BROWN! |
|
6 |
Amputee Support Group of
Northern Virginia (ASGNVA)
– First Tuesday of the month, 7:30-9:00 p.m., 2990 Telestar Court Building,
Gemini Room, Falls Church, VA. Contact Beth Harris, 540-439-3656,
betheharris@earthlink.net or asgnva@earthlink.net. Presentation about The Hoveround
Chris, Hoveround Corp., will demonstrate Hoverounds and answer questions |
|
8-10 |
National
Conference on Disability Inclusion, National Service, and Volunteerism
- A Meaningful Place for All, Alexandria, Virginia. Contact http://www.serviceandinclusion.org or contact the National Service Inclusion Project by e-mail at nsip@umb.edu or by phone at Voice/TTY 888-491-0326. |
|
9 |
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO GEORGE STANG!  |
|
12 |
 HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO VICTOR WANNER! |
|
25 |
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO ROBERT EICHNER!   |
|
26 |
 HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO PAT BRIZZI! |
|
27 |
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO GLEN MOWITT!  |
Solana
Beach Woman Hasn't Allowed Handicap To Keep Her On The Sidelines
By Don Norcross
Born with her left
leg distinctly shorter than the right, Sarah Reinertsen was fitted with a
prosthetic limb that was archaic. She couldn't bend the leg, so when she ran
Reinertsen swung the limb out, making her running motion awkward.
"I did
like a modified hop, skip," recalled Reinertsen, now 28.
By 6,
Reinertsen participated in her second soccer season on Long Island, N.Y. She
rarely played. Even worse, at practice, while her teammates ran screaming up
and down a grassy field, Reinertsen was told to go by herself and kick a ball
against a school wall.
One day, the
coach’s wife approached Reinertsen’s mother at a grocery store.
"You know," the woman said,
"maybe Sarah should find a different sport. I don't know if soccer is her
thing."
When
Reinertsen was 7, her left leg, essentially missing the thigh, was amputated so
that she could be fitted with an advanced prosthetic. By 12, she set the world
record for female above-the-knee amputees in the 100 meters. She now holds the
world record in the 100, 200, 400, half-marathon and marathon.
Last
December, barely six months after learning how to ride a bike, Reinertsen won
her amputee class at the International Triathlon Union World Championships in
New Zealand.
Earlier this
week, Reinertsen, who now lives in Solana Beach, learned that she had won a
lottery selection for October's Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii.
"I did?
I am (going to Hawaii)?" said a stunned Reinertsen, whose lower jaw about
fell to her lap. "Wow. That's huge. I'm going to Kona."
Sitting in
the Del Mar office where she works for the Challenged Athletes Foundation,
Reinertsen, who is 5-foot and 97 pounds, acknowledged that in a warped sort of
way she owes a thank you to that youth soccer coach, a doctor, who banished her
to the wall.
"I guess
I've always been trying to prove myself to that doctor, prove myself to the
kids who made fun of me in the second grade," said Reinertsen, who could
become the first female above-the-knee amputee to complete Ironman Hawaii.
"And to all those kids in high school who didn't see me as athletic or fit
or beautiful. I guess, too, I want to open doors and change the world so the
next 6-year-old girl isn't going to have to feel she doesn't have the
possibility to be an athlete."
The elder of
two children, Reinertsen was not coddled as a child. When the family went
camping every summer, Sarah carried her own backpack and fetched water like her
younger brother. She played tennis and learned to ski. The family didn't sell
their two-story home for a ranch model.
"We
wanted her to experience life like any other child," said Reinertsen's
mother, Solveig Fuentes, who lives in Coronado. "I think it built
character in her."
For Halloween
in the second grade, when most of her friends wanted to dress as Cinderella, a
ballerina or a Strawberry Shortcake cartoon character, Reinertsen opted to be a
Rubik's Cube.
"She was
never a fluffy girl," Fuentes said. "She was a little more on the
edge."
An English
woman named Paddy Rossbach served as Reinertsen's role model. Herself a leg
amputee, Rossbach had run marathons and organized an athletic program for the
disabled.
"She was
married and fit, had a job," Reinertsen said. "Really, she was my
role model in a lot of ways."
Reinertsen earned her undergraduate
degree at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She studied in Spain.
She earned a master's in broadcast journalism at USC. She has run half-dozen
marathons. She'll attempt her seventh on Monday in Boston. Her personal best: 5
hours, 27 minutes.
Her triathlon
pursuit was similar to others who jump into the sport. A tad burned out on
long-distance running, she sought a new athletic outlet. Not knowing how to
ride a bike created a challenge.
Lee Gould, an
experienced triathlete, offered to help. The first time Reinertsen showed up at
Gould's apartment complex, Reinertsen rode off and disappeared. Turns out she
rounded a corner and kept falling off.
"I've
got the scars as proof," Reinertsen said.
Said Gould:
"Some people, when they fall off, they're like, 'Oh, I can't do this.' She
gets back on, like, 'Oh, it doesn't matter. It's just a scratch.' "
Reinertsen
kept plugging away, going from that apartment parking lot to the Del Mar
Fairgrounds parking lot, to small side streets, to Pacific Coast Highway, to
the Queen K Highway next October in Kona.
"When I see her riding now, she's
got confidence. She's strong," Gould said. "She's a great rider.
She's got everything it takes to be an Ironman at the end of the day. She's got
guts."
For a split
second the other day, Reinertsen thought about the few times she got into games
for the coach who made her practice by herself against the wall. She remembered
pictures of herself running, her tongue hanging out like Michael Jordan.
She
remembered how much she loved it when at school or picnics they'd have
one-legged hopping contests and she'd toss aside her prosthetic limb then hop
away, dusting everyone to the finish line.
Reinertsen could not suppress a smile
before saying, "I've always had heart."
A Tribute to Rosa Parks
|
People
always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t
true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the
end of a working day…. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in. |
I am
leaving this legacy to all of you… to bring peace, justice, equality, love
and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and
inspiration, dreams will die—the dream of freedom and peace. |
|
I
have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes
fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. |
I was determined to
achieve the total freedom that our history lessons taught us we were entitled
to, no matter what the sacrifice. |
|
Our mistreatment was just
not right, and I was tired of it. |
I
believe that we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we
can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom. |
