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Show 6B Lakeside Review South, Wednesday, May 18, 1983 Sherrie Stewart Wants to Move ut To Take Care of Son By CHERYL ARCHIBALD Review Correspondent As she began telling her story, the light from the window lit the room and highlighted her long, blond hair. Sherrie Stewart, who lives at the Bountiful Convalescent Care Center in Bountiful sat composed in one of her two wheelchairs, her eyes expressing thoughts more than the immediate. far-reachi- She thought carefully before she spoke. For 10 years, Sherrie explained, she has lived with crippling rheumatoid arthritis a systematic, destructive disease that impairs joh.t movement, tissue structure, and muscle strength. It can strike any age. There is no known cause or cure and the disease is treated by relieving pain and replacing damaged joints. When Sherries son, Adam, now 9, was born, the disease worsened and when he was 2 years old, her marriage broke Because of the anxiety, the up. lack of knowledge, the pain my husband just couldnt cope, she said. When her knees and hips became fused, causing disabling pain, she could no longer care for Adam. The doctor had me come here and go through surgery and therapy, she continued. The surgery was to replace joints and the therapy to make the surgery work. She has undergone five operations . Meanwhile, Adam started school. Through LDS Social Services, he was placed in a foster home. I needed a family close by so I could keep in touch and see him several times a week, Sherrie said, emphasizing that the main reason she entered the center was to restore movement and health so she could return home and raise her son. But problems arose when Social Services officials misunderstood the disease, thinking that Sherrie might even die. They gave the first foster family the impression that they would be adopting the boy. Sherrie said that it all was straightented out, , -s vjfy, s s '" ' ' ' , ' ' V, s ' f ' ' ' V S' ' s'- tN)' $ X.XMW 'y A, '' s V ( ".'A.V wXvvjy wxw. , 'VX ? V.'; s svv,s .., 4 s Vs "'. v ,. , ' ' tt ' W W'' " S. Hvyw ' Nw' toward her goal to be able to take care of herself. She now faces complicated problems in her efforts to be independent. In high school," she said, Id had a background in drama and public speaking, and just as I became aware of the problems of handicapped, I was asked by a high school to speak on the subject. Since then I have spoken at four or five engagements a month about the feeling of being handicapped, or about my son, or whatever topic they give me. I prove that people in wheelchairs dont always talk about their disabilities. We the disability and ac- but she encountered more centuate the ability. families who would not take Sherrie has also been taking Adam temporarily. Many want- journalism courses through courses at ed to adopt. I felt that the worst thing I could do was aban- Brigham Young University, and his father had never has written scripts for radio. don him Shes given TV and radio intereven tried to contact him. views and has performed her Recently the families who poetry with accompanying have taken Adam have under- slides of scenery for television stood, and he has lived in four or spots. five different foster homes. When she heard of the Miss Hes had a hard time, though, and that is one reason I now Wheelchair pageant, she apwant to leave the center and plied and won over 19 other conprovide stability in his life. Hes testants. Since the winner would waiting for me to get out and at have to be a spokesperson, contimes he thinks he can get me testants had to be able to comout sooner by misbehaving, municate and had to be at least 50 percent reliant on a wheelmanipulating a little. Sherries original verse, A chair. small inspired seedling reaches All contestants were over 18 skyward, is a fact in her life. years of age. Said Sherrie, BeShe has achieved many person- ing Miss Wheelchair of 1982 al goals and endured pain and gave me the opportunity to comtherapy, all the while reaching municate and to make more contacts. Now that she is no longer Miss Wheelchair, she is still studying, speaking and writing. Sherrie has an electric typewriter Staff photoi by Dan Millar At first, she ran into an titude of If you are in an atin- stitution, you should not do anything outside on your own. If you want to and can do outside things, you should be out of the institution. But after contacting the different agencies, and writing many letters explaining her desires and needs, those in My desire is to be a free- lance writer from my home,. Sherrie said. It may be a long time before Im able to pay for all my own doctor bills, if ever, but I am willing and able to earn a small income and become a taxpaying citizen. which she is able to use, alKelly Gill, administrator of though typing tires her quickly. the convalescent center, works She has someone else retype the to rehabilitate those afflicted with disabling diseases and has final copy. been Sherrie to get out Sherrie explained that she has on helping own. her reached the physical goals that she set for herself when she According to Gill, Sherrie is entered the center, and her son plowing new ground by getting is now old enough to do things aid for others who are handfor himself, so she feels that icapped and at home. She is Adam now needs to live with unique because shes had a long her. She has been spending institutional life, and she still most of her time lately writing requires care, but shes able to letters to congressmen and live at home by herself. We are working in the system to get out trying to get agencies and indiof the center and on her own. viduals to rally and come together to meet all of her needs. My pain level has deI can transfer creased, myself Money is one of the hurdles to my wheelchair, walk with the aid of a walker, and take a few Sherrie is having to maneuver. Medicaid now pays for insteps without any support, she stitutionalized care, but if she said. out on her own she will moves But, she still needs help with not only receive less, she will combing her hair, bathing and dressing. She cannot cook or lose all Medicaid health care if clean house by herself. she should earn over $325 a month. Ill still need Medicaid for medication and possible surgeries, she said. And Ill still need physical help. She will need a housekeeper and a live-i- n maid, which has been a problem because the aide will need proper training. Someone is being trained for the job right now and Sherrie said, Ill have to make sure that I dont overburden her. Ill have to schedule my time so that my help will have sufficient time off. The apartment that she rents has to be an inexpensive, ground floor apartment so that a ramp can be built for Sherries wheelchair. It also must accept children. It hasnt been easy finding a place with all of that. Sherrie described the apartment she once found that met all of the requirements. I had arranged to rent a duplex in North Salt Lake and had even paid the deposit. The first months rent was on it way in the mail when I received a call from the landlord saying that I could not move in because the property had been sold. A friend of mine called the landlord anonymously and asked about the apartment and the landlord said that it had been rented. They knew then that the building had not been sold, but never found out why Sherrie had been told it was. Another problem has been finding accessible clothing easy to put on. She said that there is a organiza- non-prof- tion in Salt Lake City called which Functional Fashions teaches seamstresses how to el clothes for the handicapped. Loops are sewn inside so that reachers can pull the garment on, and velcro fasteners take the place of buttons. Ive been looking for volu- seamstresses who will learn the techniques and my clothes, explained Sherrie. She has called several bishops and ward Relief Societies, but so far no one has responded. Until I have accessible clothing I cant leave, she said. And she will need special reachers to pick equipment things up, an electric bed, and special kitchen and home devices. The Independent Living Center has been trying to help with many of these needs, and she was surprised to get a response from President Reagan to a letter which she had written. His correspondent called Sherrie, saying that they would try to contact some state agencies about her needs. 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