Search Results for: blog stories that inspire brooke ellison runs for state senate

Zack Weinstein Adds to the Diversity of Glee

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If you are a Gleek like I am (a fan of the new Fox series “Glee”), you’ve probably noticed the popular show about a high school glee club features quite a diverse group of characters. Puck and Rachel are Jewish, Artie is in a wheelchair, Tina is an Asian with a stutter (albeit fake), Quinn is the popular but pregnant cheerleader, Kurt is gay, and Mercedes is African American and overweight. Even the guidance counselor, Emma, is a germaphobe. This week, the show introduced a new character – Sean. Sean is a football camp friend of Finn’s who has suffered … Continue reading →

Little Stevie Wonderful

One balmy night in 1963, I turned the big stereo “hifi” on and heard Little Stevie Wonder for the first time. It was an unusually warm night in the winter, even for Galveston. The ocean breeze was blowing in through the open windows and I was home alone. I remember hearing the harmonica and thinking what a catchy tune. It was “Fingertips Part 1”. I was hooked on Stevie Wonder; he and I were both twelve years old when he released that song. I learned later he was blind at birth, played not only the harmonica, but had also mastered … Continue reading →

Should a Severely Disabled Girl Be Allowed to Grow Up?

It’s a question I would never have considered possible. But today I read an article that was both fascinating and troubling. PEOPLE magazine reported the heart-wrenching story of a nine-year-old girl with severe disabilities, and her parent’s controversial decision to use hormones to halt her growth and physical maturation. (PEOPLE, “Girl, Interrupted,” January 22, 2007, by Macon Morehouse.) Ashley, from Seattle, has static encephalopathy, a condition of the brain which has left her developmentally like an infant. She is unable to walk, speak, and is typically seen propped with pillows, because she dislikes being strapped to her wheelchair in an … Continue reading →

“If Only We Had Known…” Couples Sue over Wrongful Life

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Is having a special needs child worse than death? Apparently for some parents, it is. A number of couples are now suing their obstetricians for not informing them about testing procedures available during their pregnancy, which would have exposed fetal conditions such as spina bifida. In other words, they lost the opportunity to make an informed choice about continuing the pregnancy. According to the law in many states, physicians must inform expectant couples of all their prenatal testing options. Personally, I don’t blame parents for wanting to know about the health of their unborn child. And prenatal testing can provide … Continue reading →