#disabilities

Be The Change

Apr 11, 2020
4 min

Be The Change

Artwork by Emily Ugoretz “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, wise words from Mahatma Gandhi. I think these words hold even more importance in the midst of Covid-19. Community is even more important now that our world has been turned upside down. I enlisted the help of a very talented artist, Emily Ugoretz, to create a design to help spread this message. Emily jumped on the opportunity and within a week presented an amazing design. I think it honors the “Be the

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Button Making: New Year, New Vision

Feb 18, 2020
4 min

Button Making: New Year, New Vision

Button Making Business is Up and Rollin’ I predict 2020 will be all buttoned up and beautiful for Come Roll With Me! Why do I predict that? Well, because Come Roll With Me has started a Button Making business! Soon there will be buttons available for every occasion or cause! Why buttons? I needed a way to support the Come Roll With Me mission. In other words, to spread the “Keep Rollin’ and Keep Smilin'” message. Buttons are not only a way to finance the mission, but to

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Self-Determination Conference

Nov 1, 2019
6 min

Self-Determination Conference

Self-determination Conference Wisconsin Dells is a place of many memories for me. I spent at least one week a summer there for many years attending Camp Wawbeek. Last year I decided not to return to camp, it was just time to move on to new ventures. One of those new ventures happens to also bring me back to Wisconsin Dells. The Self-Determination Conference is help every October at the Kalahari Resort in Lake Delton, WI. Last year I attended as a vendor, promoting my bl

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Birds In Art at Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Sep 10, 2019
4 min

Birds In Art at Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Birds in Art always marks the beginning of autumn for me. I look forward to it every year. This year did not let me down. Every year the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum staff invites me to the preview showing of Birds in Art. It is a night of art, wine and hors d’oeuvres (fancy, huh?)! What I love most is saying hello to the wonderful staff who work hard to make the joys of art accessible to everyone. Challenging Summer I had planned a fun filled summer. However, life h

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Save Your Hearing Day

May 31, 2019
4 min

Save Your Hearing Day

Today is Save Your Hearing Day. Hearing greatly influences your ability to communicate with the world around you. I encounter inaccessibility all the time but cherish the fact that I can communicate effectively with those around me. Hearing is something I used to take granted whether I was listening to music or just having an everyday conversation with a stranger. I have learned the value of hearing from my brother, Nghia. My Brother Nghia When I was 5 I began asking for

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Setting Up a Routine Using the Echo Button

Jan 22, 2019
4 min

Setting Up a Routine Using the Echo Button

Imagine losing the remote to your TV. Now imagine wanting to go to bed and not being able to get up to shut your TV off! What would you do if you woke up super early, unable to get out of bed? Unable to open a book, turn on a light or watch TV. These scenarios happen often to those with a physical disability. We are dependent on others to pick up a dropped remote, to turn off a light or to hand us a book. However, we now have AMAZING technology that can stand in for our

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Grief and Children with Special Needs

Jan 9, 2019
4 min

Grief and Children with Special Needs

Jonathan reflecting wearing his grandpa’s red hat. “Grief never ends … But it changes. It is a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith … It is the price of love.” – Author Unknown Our Family’s Loss Grief is extremely difficult for most individuals to process, impacting our entire being…mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I lost my dad in April of 2015 and then lost my mom in April of 2018. I had just started to heal a

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Instacart: Perfect Holiday Gift for Caregivers

Dec 19, 2018
4 min

Instacart: Perfect Holiday Gift for Caregivers

Ask any caregiver what they want for Christmas and they are sure to say, “More hours in a day”. You may not be able to add hours to a day, but you can free up a few hours a week for a caregiver in your life. How? With an Express Membership to Instacart! When Hunter asked me to write a blog about perfect gifts for caregivers, I thought about the standard gifts. Not to say they are not valuable gifts, but Instacart has changed my life in many positive ways. I have witnesse

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Wheelchair Travel: Self-Determination Conference in Wisconsin Dells

Nov 18, 2018
7 min

Wheelchair Travel: Self-Determination Conference in Wisconsin Dells

Loving the experience! When I was younger, I was fortunate to travel all over, even outside the country. As a child. my chair was lighter and I was much lighter. My parents were able to transfer me into plane seats, into non-accessible vehicles and into a bed. It was not easy on my parents, but it was definitely doable. Wheelchair travel now is much more difficult. I do not travel much these days. I mostly travel a few hours away to visit family or just a fun day trip. M

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Festival of Arts and Birds in Art: The First Sign of Autumn

Sep 19, 2018
5 min

Festival of Arts and Birds in Art: The First Sign of Autumn

Wow, did summer fly by! However, fun and adventure filled this season! I will be sad to see the warm days fade away, but I am looking forward to the crisp air and the new set of adventures that always come with autumn. Apple orchards, pumpkin farms and a cruise down Cranberry Highway are just a few ventures on my list. So as we slide into September, I kicked off the autumn season with Birds in Art and Festival of Arts. Artrageous Weekend Every year, I look forward to Artr

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Water Skiing With The Lynzay Legois Free Water Skiing Club.

Aug 29, 2018
4 min

Water Skiing With The Lynzay Legois Free Water Skiing Club.

Ready to go! One of the many benefits of owning and authoring Come Roll With Me is meeting inspirational people. I am inspired daily by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I recently featured Brianna, a TBI Thriver. This summer Brianna has inspired me to push my comfort zone. Brianna’s mom invited us to join her for an activity I never thought possible…Water Skiing! When I was a kid, I lived on Lake Wausau. My summers were filled with boating, tubing and swimming

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GT Mobility: A Local Full Service Mobility Center

Aug 3, 2018
6 min

GT Mobility: A Local Full Service Mobility Center

Taking George Blue Thunder to GT Mobility Having a reliable van mechanic/service station is about as essential to an individual with a disability as a wheelchair is. That may sound a bit dramatic. However, if you don’t have wheels, your world is very small. My mom has always relied on GT Mobility in Stevens Point. Recently, I decided to go with her to meet the staff she always talks about. Soon after I acquired George Blue Thunder, we had an “oops” moment. We had free pl

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Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe in Tomahawk, Wisconsin

Jul 14, 2018
4 min

Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe in Tomahawk, Wisconsin

When I was growing up, I spent a great deal of time in Nokomis and Tomahawk, WI. My family had land in Nokomis and we enjoyed many family weekends in the northwoods. Sadly, I have not been up there for the past number of years. One thing I remembered on the drive to our land was passing by the Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe. I was feeling nostalgic a few weeks ago, so I decided to take a mini road trip to grab some ice cream with my caregiver, Amy. On our way! I love car rides

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House Sitting: A Caregiver’s Vacation

Jul 1, 2018
7 min

House Sitting: A Caregiver’s Vacation

I am honored to have been asked once again to be a guest blogger for Come Roll With Me. With Summer in full swing, I thought vacationing as a caregiver would be the perfect topic. Vacations are a precious commodity for caregivers. For some, they are unreachable fantasies. Finding adequate and qualified respite workers is a difficult and sometimes impossible task. However, for many finances are the major obstacle. Caregiving is financially draining. As a single mom and p

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Health Benefits of Gardening

Jun 7, 2018
3 min

Health Benefits of Gardening

Shopping for plants Snow and ice was my window view a little over a month ago! Hard to believe, isn’t it? Today the sun is shining and I am looking at my garden box outside my window. Looking for a natural way to stay fit this summer? Gardening could be your answer! There are many health benefits to gardening, including physical and mental. Exercise Gardens are nature’s gym! Bending, twisting, stretching and lifting all happen in the act of gardening. However, even tho

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Pediatric Stroke Awareness: Greyson’s Story

May 24, 2018
5 min

Pediatric Stroke Awareness: Greyson’s Story

May is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. Many believe that strokes only happen to adults. The truth is strokes can occur at any age. Childhood strokes mostly occur in the first year of life, especially right before and right after birth. Pediatric strokes are among the top ten causes of death in children. One of the common causes of cerebral palsy is the result of a pediatric stroke. Pediatric Strokes can result in other permanent disabilities/conditions as well, includi

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Special Olympics: Eddie’s Story

May 17, 2018
5 min

Special Olympics: Eddie’s Story

Eddie with his winning ribbons Last weekend I ventured to Merrill, WI to watch my friend, Eddie as he competed in the Special Olympics. It was a beautiful day for the event, sunny and warm! Eddie completed in 3 events: 1500 Meter Run, Relay Race and the Running Long Jump. History of Special Olympics Eunice Kennedy Shiver (sister of John F. Kennedy) founded the Special Olympics on July 20, 1968. After witnessing the unfair treatment of cognitively disabled children, Eunice d

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Biofreeze: Product Review

Apr 12, 2018
3 min

Biofreeze: Product Review

In my 26 years of life, I have faced some challenges related to my cerebral palsy. One of the biggest, other than being immobile, is the pain and stiffness in my muscles. One of the adverse effects of CP is rapid aging of the body. If you think of it in dog years, my muscles and joints are about 182 years old! Okay, that may be a bit dramatic! I have embraced my limitations and CP. However, I do not embrace the pain. Over the years I have tried many different things to

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Birthday Wish

Mar 31, 2018
5 min

Birthday Wish

When I was a kid, the most important thing about celebrating my birthday was all the Hoopla. You know…the cake, candles, gifts…basically, the whole shebang! However, as I became an adult, my outlook started to change. I grew out of the whole birthday party scene. Don’t get me wrong, I love celebrating with my friends and family. I guess I outgrew the need for the spotlight. So this year, for my birthday I am having a party! Say What?!! Didn’t I just say I outgrew the w

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YNOT Life Style: Story of Strength and Determination

Mar 21, 2018
6 min

YNOT Life Style: Story of Strength and Determination

Many people ask me the question, “If there was a cure for CP, would you seek it out?” My answer always surprises people. Unless CP is endangering my life, my answer is no. I have learned so much because I have CP. Most importantly, my path has crossed with some of the most amazing people on this earth directly because of my CP. Recently, my path crossed with Tyler Hogue, owner of YNOT Life Style Clothing Company. In 2008, Tyler started YNOT at his family’s sign shop. He

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