wheelchair

Children don’t see race, age, wealth, weight, or disability, we’re told. Instead, they look for unconditional love. I believe that’s true until a certain point; then their innocence is forever lost. My 11-year-old daughter, Sophie, has always been a generous person. Even when she began to grow up and realize…

Words can hurt, especially labels. We can deny a label all we want, but terms like “disabled” will close many doors. What does it mean to be disabled, though? I find the term offensive because it implies I’m not capable, which is far from the truth. Do I live with…

I noticed recently that my left eye was irritated. It felt sunburned, which seemed odd given that it’s late autumn on the west coast of Canada, which means it’s chilly and wet. It was bothering me enough that I looked in the bathroom mirror to see what the…

Sometimes in life, the easiest decisions make the greatest impact. It probably wasn’t reasonable for a new couple to get a dog together, but that’s exactly how Marmaduke came into our lives. A wild idea led to an internet search, and as luck would have it, we were able to…

Like many Canadians, I grew up watching curling, a beloved national sport that helped make the long prairie winters more tolerable. I’d watch with my grandparents and cheer for the teams that made it to the Olympics. Curling transfixed me with its elegant combination of skill, athleticism, and drama.

My quest to become a wheelchair owner and user began with pitching the idea to members of my care team. As I shared in my last column, that didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped. But being persistent paid off when one of my doctors stepped up and…