Sometimes it is the less grand appearances that melt your heart the most and remind you why you want to be Ms. Wheelchair America. This came from an unlikely source for me. My godmother, who happens to be my mother's best friend, requested that I go make a home visit in Rockland, Mass. to her brother, Jim, who is home bound because of medical issues and has Down Syndrome. My first thought was I need to find a way to relate to a man in his fifties who I only know about through stories from my mom. You see, my mom is one of Jim's favorite people. The funny part of this is my mother just celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary. She has not gone by her maiden name in 40 years, however, she will always be Diane Johnson to him. So, being Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts, thinking on my feet, I said I will come up with anecdotes about my mom for a few hours. Lord knows I have enough of them. Upon arriving I was told that Jim was in a really good mood. I knew it was going to be a good day from that point on. However, I learned that even when dealing with people with cognitive disabilities it is important to find common ground. In the beginning, Jim was not comfortable with me being in his room. This was not the reception as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts I am used to. Little kids smile, parents shake my hand, etc. I then looked at my mom with an unknowing glance. She looked at me and said just be yourself. I then glanced up at his TV and the show King of Queens was in his dvd player. This show happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine so we starting bonding already. I asked him what he liked about the show and he gave me an answer that to this day is still cute to us, "I Love Dougie". This made my visit worth it to see how genuine he was to spend time with me. Fast forward a little to my leaving and he began to call me Diane Johnson Princess which in his own way was showing me I was accepted as if Diane Johnson is cool, you are ok in my book. To go from a person who did not appreciate me being in his room to being a princess means that even for a moment and over a cancelled sitcom I made his day but in truth he made mine even more. Til next time "Advocate, Educate and Empower".
