Happy Halloween everybody! One of my favorite months because not only does it include my birthday(I'm now 23!), but it's a kick off to the holidays (Spooky Halloween, Yummy Thanksgiving, & Family Gathering Christmas & Hanukkah), and great weather.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
October
Happy Halloween everybody! One of my favorite months because not only does it include my birthday(I'm now 23!), but it's a kick off to the holidays (Spooky Halloween, Yummy Thanksgiving, & Family Gathering Christmas & Hanukkah), and great weather.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
New Update
Looking back on this past year really does shock me. I can't believe how far I have come since my journey in the hospital. In my interviews, I speak of my hospital experience as a nightmare. We went through weekly surgeries, daily wound care changes, and more. And back then, my spirits were at an all time low. My body went through some unbelievable changes with the obvious amputations but also, weight and hair loss. I almost didn't recognize myself, but I knew that I was still the same person. But sure enough we pulled through. I knew (maybe with a little bit of encouragement) it was only going to get better, but no one knew what kind of a new adventure I was about to begin.
After the livestrong challenge I knew that cycling was something I wanted to pursue. So my trainer, Sean Ahmadi, and I kept going with our work out regiment. Sean has been with me since the beginnig, which was only last summer. But this past summer, new opportunities were given to us. My prosthetic company, OPT got me out to Oklahoma for my first time trail. I was fully confident that I was going to do well, until I saw the course. I described the hills like roller-coasters. No one expected Oklahoma to be so hilly. The road was consistent with hill after hill routine. But sure enough I accomplished it and I felt like a million bucks. In fact, here's a video clip. http://www.opttexas.com/index.php/multimedia/video I believe I'm the third video.
But also when we were there, we also met a few people involved with the paralympic committee based in Colorado Springs. They were intrigued and thought that maybe I have a really good chance in succeeding, because I am a rare category. Let me explain... The biggest group are men, with one leg. I'm a girl, with two legs, both my hands are impaired, and I ride a regular upright bicycle (versus recumbent bikes). So they were excited that I was interested in the sport, and almost immediately asked me what I was doing in two weeks because the US national cycling time trail would be taking place in Georgia and they wanted me to go. So I said yes! ha ha... Then before we knew it, we were in Augusta, GA competing with such a huge and dynamic group of people. It was amazing. The ride was spectacular, and started out on the Thurmond Lake Dam at the border of Georgia and South Carolina. What a unique opportunity, and I am so grateful to participate in this role. When the race was over, I didn't know how well I did (considering it was pouring rain the whole time) but I came out on top and won gold in my division. So I currently stand as a US national cycling champion. This is something that will stay with me forever, and not that many people get this chance. People work hard for a long time, and still don't achieve what I have. I am blessed. I can't believe any of this, but I will definitely sit and enjoy the ride. No pun intended...
Well after the national's time trail, no one really knew what was next. Everyone was wondering about the next paralympics in London 2012. But just because I won in the US nationals cycling doesn't mean I'm an automatic participant in being a part of the USA team. So then we got in contact again with the paralympic committee members that we originally met in Oklahoma. We tried to figure what the next step would be. Then we were told that the Pan American games are happening in guadalajara in November and that I am in the testing pool to be a part of the American team, and my chances are high. So yes, I'm nervous because this will also determine if I will be participating in London. Crazy...
Other than that I am also looking forward to the next livestrong challenge in October, but this year I will be doing 20 miles (instead of last year's 12 miles). I'm excited to participate in that but I will also endure the challenged athlete triathlon in La Jolla, California where I will ride 44 miles. The most yet, and it makes me very nervous. Even though, I'm slightly scared, I know I will succeeded and I can't wait to have the feeling of accomplishment.
It's been a crazy journey and I can't believe how far I have come. In my interviews I like to comment, " in 2008 I got sick, in 2009 I learned how to walk, in 2010 I got on a bike, in 2011 I am a nationally acclaimed cyclist, and hopefully in 2012 I can be a world champion." Wow. Look at what my life has turned to. Unbelievable.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
new article
Saturday, November 6, 2010
MY BIKE!!
hello viewers!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
my new chapter in my life
Sunday, April 25, 2010
WORLD MENINGITIS DAY 4/24 - TEXAS MENINGITIS AWARENESS DAY 4/25
Despite the fact I have not quite put the gala to rest and that there are still a few details to put a close to it, life goes on. That being said - we've been very,very busy and where do I begin. Jamie got some beautiful, awesome vacuum legs (with coverings). They look great and after a lot of tweaking (and we're still tweaking) she loves them. Every night we must charge them so that in the morning when she puts them on she presses a couple of buttons, they create a seal to her limbs and off she goes. We are however talking to Jamie's new prosthesis' - did I tell you Jamie has a new prosthesis' and we love him - about getting a pair of swim legs (look out summer) and a pair of running legs (look out runners). We are also in the beginning stages of Jamie getting a bike and this is not as easy as just getting a bike. We have to consider jamie's legs as well as her hands and how is she going to brake - look out runners.
There's a lot to talk about but I guess the most important thing I need to say is that today is World Meningitis Day and tomorrow the 25th will be Texas Meningitis Awareness Day. Jamie and I have reached out to as many people as we could. We've done interviews throughout Texas - been on talk shows - are talking and will be talking to several organizations - we did a public service announcement - next week we will be traveling to south Texas to speak and in a week we will do media outreach in Austin as well as a few events in Dallas. We've come a long way since this horrible disease took over our world but we've also come a long way in bringing awareness. We must remember that this is a vaccine preventable disease. We must not let this happen to anyone again. No child should have to endure the pain and suffering that Jamie has gone through. We must not let the past year go in vain. Help us help others and spread the word - Vaccinate.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Bluebonnet Gala was Amazing!!!
[I know it has been a very, very long while since I posted, but I’ve been quite busy. To hit the highlights, after two months of heavy networking, I’m back in Dallas (Irving, actually) working at my new job! I started on February 5 and I’m really enjoying the new gig. The hours are long, but, maybe I that’s just related to the fact that I hadn’t really been working a normal, full-time schedule since Jamie fell ill in November 2008… Man, lawyers work a lot!! I’ve also been the No. 2 in command of planning The J.A.M.I.E. Group’s first annual Bluebonnet Gala, which is our first major/formal fundraiser. Also, I ran a half-marathon on Valentine’s Day. It’s not related to my absence from this blog, but it’s still pretty neat!]
Anyway, that being said, I’m glad to be back writing about Jamie and her story. It’s been so long since I’ve written that the general theme of her story has changed. When I used to post, the posts were dedicated to the medical minutiae of her recovery from Meningococcal Septicemia and the amputations related thereto. (“Thereto”… can you tell I’m working as a lawyer again?) Now, the story has changed a bit. Certainly, a vast majority of the story pertains to Jamie’s gradual acclimation to her new life, new legs and new abilities; however, there’s a large chunk of this blog that will become dedicated to Jamie’s new mission. By acting as the main voice of The J.A.M.I.E. Group (which is an acronym for Joint Advocacy for Meningococcal Information and Education), Jamie will attempt to educate students, teachers, parents, doctors and whoever else that will listen about the dangers posed by Meningitis. Meningitis is a life-threatening disease that, considering how severe and sudden its effects are, the public and the medical community are relatively under-informed about. But, if you’ve been reading along, you’re well aware about the damage that this disease can do.
This post is about The J.A.M.I.E. Group’s Bluebonnet Gala and what an amazing night it was. Everything went as planned, and, thanks in LARGE part to some amazing volunteers, the evening was a rousing success. The event was held on Saturday, February 27 at St. Michael’s, Jamie’s high school. Upon entering the building, you’d have no idea that you were stepping into a cafeteria. The place looked magnificent. The good folks at Great Events, a party planning company whose time was donated by one of Jamie’s supporters, flew in from Chicago and they put on a great show! Anyway, people from all over the state came to Austin to celebrate Jamie’s inspiring recovery and her new mission. I’m still flabbergasted about the amount of live and silent auction items that were donated for the event. There were over 80 items, including a 1.00 carat diamond, a football signed by the 2009 Texas Football team, autographed Adrian Peterson, Devin Hester and Matt Forte jerseys, lots of artwork, a villa in Acapulco for 10 people (with staff), $1000’s of gift cards to restaurants and other stores… I could go on and on. The food, prepared by renowned local chef, Alma Alcocer-Thomas (who donated much of the expense of the food), was fantastic. Everyone left talking about the meal that she prepared. The night was hosted by Ron Oliveira, one of mom’s high school buddies who just so happens to be the main anchorman for KEYE-TV (Austin’s CBS Affiliate). He did a fantastic job, and along with our auctioneer, Steve Glink, kept the crowd entertained all night. The best part of the evening was, without a doubt, Jamie’s video and speech that she made to the crowd after dinner. As the blog readers have witnessed first-hand, Jamie has developed into a budding writer and public speaker, and she showed off those skills on Saturday. She was great up on stage.
Also, Letty Landa and Lindsay Stillman, who both volunteered their time and also arranged for other volunteers to attend, made sure that our event had the right amount of supporting staff for the set-up, the event, and the post-game. Amy and Wade from St. Michael’s were critical for us as well when it came to setting up for and cleaning up after the party. Then, there were the two bands that were perfect: The Brimmers and The Cory Cross Band. Even though they aren’t typically playing at formal galas, you’d never know it. They, like everyone else, were perfect. Needless to say, a LOT of people came together to make this work, and they did their job. It was amazing!!!
I think I can speak for the family when I say how grateful we are for the amazing and jaw-dropping amount of assistance we received from both obvious and random sources. We couldn’t have done this on our own. We don’t have the final tally on the amount of money that we raised, but I can definitely say that we exceeded my highest expectations. We’ll be doing this again next year in Dallas, so we hope to see you all there. Thank you all so much, and now, it’s back to real life for a bit! Hopefully, the next update will be about Jamie’s new pair of legs that she’s been wearing… Thanks for reading!