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!
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.
