My life was changed forever on September 4, 1977. I was accidentally shot and almost lost my life at the age of three. By God's grace and mercy, I survived. As a result of my injuries, I had to learn to walk again. I lost use of my left arm and had to learn how to do everything with one hand. I am forty-six years old and some things are still difficult.
One of the reasons I decided to write my book series on friends is because of the amazing friends I had growing up. My friends never laughed at me because of the way I looked or complained when I needed help with a simple task. They were always there by my side to help me get through difficult times. I saw first hand how children could be cruel. There was always that one child who was going to go out of their way to make fun of me. My friends always stood up for me no matter what.
I had my first seizure when I was in the 8th grade. I was in science class and remember turning around after I started jumping to say something to a friend. The next thing I remember was laying in the back seat of our car. My parents told me that I had a grand mal seizure. I had no idea what that was, but found out later that it was very serious. Since that day seizures have just been a part of my life. They're not fun by any means, but I know that God let me live for a reason and having seizures is just a little side effect.
Just like always, my friends continued to be by my side. Friends are so important. I will always be thankful for my friends. I am still close with most of my high school friends. I sincerely thank all of you for being there for me. You are in my heart.
One of the reasons I decided to write my book series on friends is because of the amazing friends I had growing up. My friends never laughed at me because of the way I looked or complained when I needed help with a simple task. They were always there by my side to help me get through difficult times. I saw first hand how children could be cruel. There was always that one child who was going to go out of their way to make fun of me. My friends always stood up for me no matter what.
I had my first seizure when I was in the 8th grade. I was in science class and remember turning around after I started jumping to say something to a friend. The next thing I remember was laying in the back seat of our car. My parents told me that I had a grand mal seizure. I had no idea what that was, but found out later that it was very serious. Since that day seizures have just been a part of my life. They're not fun by any means, but I know that God let me live for a reason and having seizures is just a little side effect.
Just like always, my friends continued to be by my side. Friends are so important. I will always be thankful for my friends. I am still close with most of my high school friends. I sincerely thank all of you for being there for me. You are in my heart.
Writing has always been an important part of my life. Whether it is my own personal writing or teaching writing in the classroom, I use personal experiences to act as a catalyst for effective writing. As mentioned above, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with individuals who took pleasure in reveling in my pain. I did my best to smile through the laughs and inappropriate name calling. I used writing as an outlet of screaming on the inside.
Students in the middle and high school grades suffer silently through situations just like the ones I had to endure. I plan to use my story along with my testimony to help students deal with problems they might be experiencing. I will offer the implementation of creative and journal writing as possible coping mechanism for the older students. Sometimes students can't verbally express their emotions and need to work through them on their own. Creative writing and journal writing are beneficial ways to help students express emotions at a difficult time.
The Dudley and Friends series is an excellent supplemental resource for younger children. The books allow children to learn while making a lasting connection with the characters. Through rhythmic writing and whimsical illustrations, the book lends itself to a fun learning experience. I look forward to meeting students in person or through online platforms. I hope teachers will enjoy reading my book and will contact me to come visit their students.