In February the online support group meeting will be celebrating the one year anniversary.
I want to thank everyone for sharing each month. When you sign in and share your stories,
struggles, and experiences we make it easier for the parents of a newly diagnosed children.
struggles, and experiences we make it easier for the parents of a newly diagnosed children.
I wanted the February support group meeting to be special, and I had to find the perfect guest speaker.
I am excited to share with the group an extraordinary young lady who paved the way for intellectually and physically challenged individuals. Her name is Abbey Curran.
Abbey will join us Tuesday night Feb. 6th at 7 pm. on zoom.
Call in or sign up at zoom to be a part of the meeting and listen to Abbey share her journey.
Additional information is below about joining the meeting.
Abbey's story
Abbey Curran was crowned Miss Iowa USA 2008. Born with Cerebral palsy, she became the first person dealing with a special challenge throughout her life to compete in the prestigious Miss USA competition.
Abbey grew up on a pig farm in the rural town of Kewanee Illinois. She has never allowed her so-called disability to hold her back from her dreams for herself and for others. She lives by the motto, "If you can dream it, you can do it!"
Abbey entered her first beauty pageant when she was 16, despite being told she shouldn’t do so by everyone she knew. Taking part in the pageant gave her a new sense of confidence and was such an empowering experience that she determined to pass on the positive feelings she gained to other challenged girls. To do so, she established the Miss You Can Do It pageant for girls with disabilities who range in age from 5 to 25. Now in its 13th year, the pageant has been incredibly successful in bringing Abbey’s basic message to its contestants and their families: that any journey, great or small, begins with two words: “I’ll try.”
The Miss You Can Do It pageant remains a unique, annual event that imbues its young contestants with joy, confidence and pride. It’s so successful that, in 2013, HBO made a beautiful documentary about it (titled Miss You Can Do It) in which
Abbey is prominently featured. 
Abbey graduated from Saint Ambrose University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. She spent the last year in nursing school. In recent years, she’s given motivational speeches at dozens of venues and events, from fundraising banquets for United Cerebral Palsy to colleges and schools throughout the country.
She has appeared on many TV shows, among them The Early Show, The Ellen Show, Katie with Katie Couric, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood, Extra, Fox and Friends, Fox News and CNN Headline News. She has also been featured in stories in also had an exclusive feature story in Peopleand Vogue.
In 2011, she was honored by the distinguished Susan G. Komen Foundation, which named her “Leader of the Future” and “Most Inspirational Woman in America.”
In September 2015, HarperCollins published Abbey’s autobiography, The Courage to Compete.
Currently Abbey resides in Chicago where she is a medical sale rep.
Here is the link to Abbey's appearance on the Ellen show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohkySovPnZA
Abbey discussing Miss You Can Do It.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unl4tz3RnYE
Many of my friends know that I recently had foot surgery. Before I scheduled surgery I decided to research the doctor who would be working on my foot. Yes, as my step-daughter has accused me of doing in the past to her, I creeped on my doctor. I think I had good reason. Right? He was planning on cutting my foot open! It doesn't take much today to find out about anyone thanks to google and facebook.
I am never surprised by how many special needs parents turn their situations into helping others. Read the short story below to find out how my podiatrist is giving back to the families of children who have complex medical issues in the area.
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| Jeff, Suzanne, Marin, Garrett and Gabe |
home/respite home for medically complex children to Peoria. There are only
2 in the state, Naperville and in downtown Chicago with over 14,000 children
with complex medical issues in our state. This facility is sorely needed and will
be a great help to many and we can increase the footprint of the areas that will be
served. Our family is proud to be a spokes family. Our sons Garrett and Gabriel
have a still undiagnosed neurometabolic disorder.They are non verbal, wheelchair
dependent and feeding tube dependent, both with chronic respiratory issues
as well.
They are great blessings in our lives. Almost Home Kids has helped us in the past and we are so thankful and now look to give back. We are looking to raise 50,000 to help build out one of the patients rooms in honor of Garrett and Gabe. We know we can't do it alone. Suzanne and I pledge 5,000 towards our goal. Our wish is to have a plaque outside one of the rooms that reads Donated thru the generosity of family and friends of Garrett and Gabe Ruskusky! All tax deductible funds raised will go to the OSF Foundation for Almost Home Kids and anything we raise above 50,000 I will ask to be placed in the endowment fund that will help families without respite care coverage be able to utilize the help they need at Almost Home Kids.
We thank you for your support.
God Bless!
Check out the gofundme link to learn more about how you can help.
https://www.gofundme.com/almost-home-kids-and-the-ruskuskys
Online Support Group
When: The first Tuesday of every month. Upcoming meeting- February 6th
7 pm central, 8 pm eastern
1. One time registration
2. Sign in using the ID number ( 859 589 845) on laptop, Ipad, computer. Use video
and audio or only audio.
3. Second option- Call in free on your phone (646 558 8656)
4. Join in on the conversation or choose to just listen. Your choice.
Topic: Speaker-Abbey Curran
Sign on and lend support to one another through sharing similar struggles,
experiences and offering suggestions on solutions.
Feel free to contact me for more information:
Jill
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