INDIVIDUAL WITH LGMD: Vicki
LGMD "스포트라이트 인터뷰"
국가: 캐나다
LGMD 하위 유형: LGMD2A/척추통증증후군
몇 살에 진단받으셨나요?:
I was diagnosed at the age of 22.
첫 증상은 무엇이었나요?:
I was having difficulty climbing stairs. The Doctor told me that the tendons in my ankles were short, he then sent me to a neurologist for a second opinion to see if there was an underlying condition as to way they were short. My neurologist sent me to have a muscle biopsy in Montreal.
다른 가족 중에 LGMD를 앓고 있는 사람이 있나요?
No, I am the only person with LGMD in my family.
LGMD와 함께 생활하면서 가장 어려운 점은 무엇인가요?:
There are many challenges; to stay independent alone in my home, and to stay active in my community and with friends. It is challenging when planning to go somewhere new. I have to ensure it is accessible for a wheelchair and I have to ask about the washroom facilities. It is also challenging to stay positive- when you can’t perform an ordinary task, go somewhere you want to go, or just see others moving so easily in public.
가장 큰 성과는 무엇인가요?:
My family is my first great accomplishment- My husband, Dean, and our son, Tyler. They make my life worth living; they make me feel like I can do anything. I am very blessed. I also take great pride in my MD fundraising. In the past, I have organized a yearly auction, online FB auctions, yard sales, raffles, etc. My latest idea has been making and selling felt ornaments. I started making them January 2016. I design a pattern, cut it out on felt, hand sew them together then market them on Facebook. They have their own FB page: “Vicki’s Handmade Ornaments for MD”. My husband and I have donated all the supplies to make them, I have even gotten business cards. ALL proceeds from the sale of the ornaments go to MD Canada every year in June for our Walk for Muscular Dystrophy. Since starting I have sold ~$4000 worth of ornaments. My fundraising goal for the walk for MD has been $6000 for the past many years. I always find a way to exceed my goal.
My husband and I started a healthy eating regime back in March. We have both gotten lighter, and healthier because of it. I was able to stop taking the 3 medications I was taking for inflammation, pain and high blood pressure. We feel great and I love to spread the word about it!
LGMD가 지금의 자신을 만드는 데 어떤 영향을 미쳤나요?
I am learning more and more about myself every day. My challenges and past experiences have made me learn so many things about myself. I have learned to love myself for who I am and not for what I can or cannot do. I have become a strong, self-confident person. I have realized that I am who I am and the wheelchair does not define me! I also belong to a local disability group. We go into middle schools every Spring and talk about living with a disability, and how you can help people with disabilities. My public speaking has come a long way because of this.
LGMD에 대해 전 세계에 알리고 싶은 내용:
It is rare but it is also a common disability. Some of us liked to be offered a helping hand, some like to do it themselves however difficult it may be. Everyone is different. Ask before helping someone and never be turned off by someone with a negative attitude or personality. I always smile because I know what I have in my life and LGMD cannot take my smile away from me!
내일 LGMD가 "완치"될 수 있다면 가장 먼저 하고 싶은 일은 무엇인가요?:
There are probably many things that I would do: travel, swim, run, go shopping on my own, work, exercise, visit my friends’ houses with stairs, get in and out of the bathtub, clean the house, I am sure I could come up with a long list… A lot of these things I can do now, but in a modified way. It would be nice to do these things without thinking, in a more carefree way.
* 더 많은 "LGMD 스포트라이트 인터뷰"를 읽거나 향후 인터뷰에 참여하려면 당사 웹사이트를 방문하세요. 에서 https://www.lgmd-info.org/spotlight-interviews