My first book, 10 Seconds That Changed My Life, describes how I became severely disabled. I will never forget that day. Thursday, June 15, 2017, will be embedded in my memory forever. I greeted the summer day eager to face the world with my usual free-spirited independence, and ended the day lying in the Intensive Care unit of a hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland, with a ventilating tube down my throat. Billions of people get out of bed every day without any problem, and that had been true my entire life despite being a wheelchair user with Cerebral Palsy since the age of three. But when I got out of bed that fateful morning, everything went horribly wrong. Through realistic, heartfelt writing and original poems of my beloved Scotland, I describe the various stages of my thirteen-month hospital experience and my personal journey through joy and sorrow, frustration and elation, and the reality of coming home to a new normal.
My second book, Wheels Galore! Adaptive Cars, Wheelchairs, and a Vibrant Daily Life with Cerebral Palsy, is a memoir of my life as a disabled wheelchair user and my sheer determination to overcome all obstacles. From early childhood into my teen years and adulthood, I was not going to let my disability get in the way of my ambitions or goals. Usually that was in the form of going as fast as I could on anything with wheels — my various wheelchairs, my tricycle, my battery car, and several wheelchair-adapted cars ever since! In this book I describe all the amusing situations I’ve found myself in along the way, and how I’ve educated myself up to PhD standard. I hope to inspire my readers to rise above the perceived limitations of disability and live life their way with grace, guts, and gusto!
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COMING SOON! the audiobook edition narrated by talented Scottish actor Tony McGeever, a perfect fit for the role. You can learn more about him here.
Welcome to my website! I'm glad to have you along for the ride. I have had Cerebral Palsy since the age of three and I'm a wheelchair user, but I have always enjoyed a full and active life. I'm the published author of two books of which I'm very proud. I hope that my books will be a source of encouragement to those who face difficulties and limitations in their abilities. I also hope my humorous stories give you some much-needed laughs!
One of my favourite hobbies is playing chess, and I enjoy listening to a wide spectrum of musical genres and styles from classical to heavy metal. I have been an Open University student for twenty-six years and earned three degrees in science. I am currently working toward earning my PhD.
I have also written several poems of my beloved Scotland and its magnificent scenery...my musings on society's perceptions of disability...reminiscences of my childhood and my love of learning.