Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings.
At this time, we Christians extend our hand in friendship to all, no matter your beliefs or the lack thereof. Unfortunately, we have far too much hatred, jealousy, political agendas, and not enough better angels to extend our goodwill to all. We truly need each other so much more “each and every day.” This Virus has placed a tremendous burden on us all; we suffer. Agonize, “how are we going to make it,” but we will endure and persevere. As I said, we need each other, and can you imagine that loss and being all alone with no one else.
Yesterday, I woke, and it dawns on me that next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. “WOW, It’s here, what am I thankful for?” I did do a bigThankful, giving thanks blog one year ago yet this year’s message will have a defend outlook than just a year ago.
One of my new pal’s had asked me ‘How are you and coping with Covid19 restrictions?’ I have to think of all of the hardship that I have endeared thou this year while a tear runs out of my eyes. It’s been VERY HARD for me, coping with Covid19 restrictions, and the matter’s of 2020 all year long.
Now we ALL as a whole country Covid19 Thanksgiving Restrictions. Some of the rules that are madding and crazy, I don’t remember Easter and the 4th of July being out of had like having cop’s over if you host a Thanksgiving Dinner that had only ten people, or wearing a mask in your home. The question here… how does one eat turkey while wearing a mask? I hear so many friends told me they all have to FACE-TIME their loved ones over the holidays. I have to cry seeing a few new bittersweet TV Christmas commercials. It’s just a very sad holiday.
My thanksgiving wish to you is that… I hope this is a “One-time holiday deal” and may next year we would be back to normal or something that we were all familiar with, yet not the covid19 restrictions of the year, 2020.
I do have to warn the reader that this blog post contains possibly trigger warnings about the topics of sexual assault, mental and physical abuse that if you are someone with a history of any of these experiences please read with caution. Or with guided supervision from your trusted.
Myself during the mist of it all -fall 2008
Knowing that I should have come out and come clean with this years ago. Perhaps I was scared for some other reason. Today on June 21, 2020, I shall tell the truth of Ms. Barbara Humbert and that she had indeed molested me, and I want the world to know in hopes of stopping her and others that molested children with a disability.
My parents Mark and Sheri Forry hired my mom’s dear friend, Gail, to work at our family Auto Body Connection, helping my mom out. She had a sister named Barbara, who was in her 70s. Barbara had a married daughter with a significant handicap: born with no arms or legs and a wheelchair user. My mom Sheri and Gail thought that Barbara and I would become good friends since I had no friends. My Mom let Barbara take me out to the movies, lunches and such.
April 18, 2008. I only had a sleepover once at Barbara’s house. It turned out that night was the worst night of my life because she did some unspeakable things to me just 11 days after I turned eighteen. Barbara had raped me that night. Barbara watched me naked the whole time while I took a bath in her huge bathtub taking pictures of me in the nude. After that, Barbara wrapped me in a bath towel, hugging me way too close, kissing my neck, and drying me off. I felt odd about this. Later that night, we were hanging out on the bed when Barbara started to kiss my feet and asked me if I slept naked.
Since that night, my world turned to the very worst hell I could imagine mentally abused me every time we were alone. Barbara used to drive me to and from my very first college class. It was pure torture getting into her truck. I remember one-day grandma was at my house when Barbara came to pick me up, and I tried to get into my grandma’s car, but it was locked, and I was crying when I got into Barbara’s truck. I won’t tell no one about that night because my parents needed Gail’s help at their shop.
I underwent emotional/mental/physical abuse by my own family because I came to hate Barbara and didn’t know that rape can comes in all kinds of forms. I claim that given my condition and how isolated when young- being homeschool, friendliness, made me still a child in my mind. It wasn’t until I told a counselor, years later, August 2010, about that night in question, then this counselor told me that Barbara had raped me. My family did believe me, and there was peace in our home for three months until we found out that my dad was dying of pancreatic cancer stage 4. I did not just lose my father to cancer. I lost my mother, Sheri, and my little sister, Hailey to Barbara. Christmas 2015, my mom and sister spent Christmas with Barbara over me. I was left home alone.
Years later, in 2020, I came to realize how much Barbara took away all my hopes, dreams, and, sadly, my whole family. Facing that fact, in which she indeed really wrack all aspects of my life. It’s still affecting my life. I hope that I was the only one that Barbara Humbert had raped because living with this is far worst that one could even be imaged.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Amanda Forry/Fino
A heartwarming and harrowing tale of life and forbidden love lost to one generation and found in the next. Caught between a turbulent love triangle that shook the very foundations of the Mafia’s Las Vegas Empire, and a deadly struggle for wealth and power, Mob Boss and “King of Las Vegas” Tony Torino, his mistress and onetime showgirl Evelyn Rosenberg, and her husband top Chicago mobster Charlie “Gus” Rosenberg live and love in defiance of the violent and unforgiving laws of the Mafia. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CP Gal by Amanda Fino
Amanda was born with cerebral palsy
bit.ly/CPGalAmandaFino
How do you move forward when the past is holding you back? When the abuse from the past affects life choices in the present? Cerebral Palsy Gal is the riveting story of one woman’s quest to come to terms with her health, heartbreak and family. Amanda was born with cerebral palsy. Throughout her life, she struggled against seemingly overwhelming odds to follow her dream – to be a best-selling writer. As a child, she endured appalling physical, mental, and emotional abuse from members of her own family, especially her mother, who could not accept Amanda’s condition. When her father was only fifty-nine, he died of cancer. She found comfort and solace with her grandmother – her “gragwa” as she called her – the only person in her childhood who cared for her. A chance meeting with a former U.S. intelligence officer and his family at a convention in Las Vegas gave Amanda the chance to be part of a loving family she so dearly craved. Cerebral Palsy Gal is the remarkable story of survival against the odds, a poignant, inspiring, and utterly compelling account of one person finding her own voice and, in turn, becoming the voice of those who, through disability, cannot speak for themselves.
A note from Amanda Fino: Keep in mind while reading this, I did not write this fantastic blog, yet I’m highly honored to been asked by Richelle & Heaven to copy and paste this onto my blog. Thank You, Richelle & Heaven, for this privilege. Amanda
Richelle & Heaven
What is Cerebral Palsy? There is an AMAZING Platform known as “Social Media.” Near and far we’re all connected. Today, wherever you are, we ask that you close your eyes and picture yourselves in a large Auditorium. Are your eyes still closed? Raise your hands about any of the questions we ask. How many of you are Differently Abled or know someone that is? How many of you have ever been subjected to bullying? How many of you have ever felt alone? How many of you struggle to tell the truth about your feelings due to being an Outcast? Now open your eyes and look around. You’re not ALONE. Today we will speak on the topic of Cerebral Palsy. Have you heard of it? My name is Richelle Heath & I’m here with Heaven Ramsey. We’re Co-Founders of the #CPDreamTeam. Together, we bring awareness to the most common childhood motor disability. Sadly, it’s not recognized the way we would expect in 2020 There are over 17 Million People Worldwide affected by Cerebral Palsy. That estimates to one in every 323 children. We even have our own awareness ribbon. Our color is green. Why is green the color of cerebral palsy awareness? Green is associated with new growth, vibrant lives, and renewal of life! This is because no case of Cerebral Palsy is the same. Each and every one of us are affected differently. This is important because we’re all growing and learning daily, living our vibrant lives in our own, unique individual way. Green symbolizes that for our community of 17 Million Strong.
March is our Month and March 25th is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day! Let’s address some Misconceptions: First, children with Cerebral Palsy can never learn to walk. This is simply not true. Over half (about 50%-60%) of children with CP can walk independently. Another misconception is that CP is the same for everyone. There are approximately 17 million people worldwide affected by cerebral palsy and no two are affected the same. There is no certain way a person with CP should look or no certain abilities they should or should not have. Finally, a child with cerebral palsy has a limited future. Since thousands of children are affected by cerebral palsy, and a new generation of adults are navigating the world of this disability, this has proven not to be the case. There are many who are affected by CP who are very successful. There are doctors, athletes and even entertainers that live with CP and that’s just a few of the professions. Let me introduce myself… My name is Richelle Heath. I am 43 and I have spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. My journey began in 1976 as an adopted child whose parents knew nothing about cerebral palsy. They were told by a fellow church member that I may have CP because my legs weren’t moving in accordance with typical childhood developmental milestones. After guidance and referrals, I had my first surgery at 2 and my last at 16 years old. My parents gave me every opportunity, regardless of cost and time so that I would have the best chance of walking independently, driving a car, graduating college and working in corporate America. I am proud to say I have accomplished each and every one of those goals. My dream was to be completely independent. The kind of independence that is often taken for granted.
At age 37, I began using Facebook to see if I could find other people with cerebral palsy facing the same daily struggles as I do. I just knew that somewhere out there, others were dealing with similar challenges. As we age with Cerebral Palsy, life gets harder. Doctors who “Treat Cerebral Palsy” are basically non-existent. You can’t cure CP but what you can do is treat the symptoms. Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and a myriad of medications. It is important to remember that no one with CP is the same. Our bodies are all different & will continue to change, along with our abilities. As you age, disabled or not, your body will continue to break down. That’s life. We ALL need to love ourselves today and every day in the bodies we were given. March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month and March 25th is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. We all want to be heard, we want to be accepted. We want to be understood and cherished for our differences and experiences because together everyone achieves more.
Heaven’s Story My name is Heaven Ramsey. I am 16 years old and I have mild spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. I started my Facebook awareness page “A Stairway To The Stars: Heaven’s Journey With CP” on May 30, 2013. The decision to share my story has changed my life and allowed me to help others. I made the decision to go back to pageants in 2014, when I realized I cannot encourage others to follow their dreams if I don’t follow my own. I participated in pageants from infancy to age 5 but stopped when an imperfect walk became an issue. Since then I’ve held the titles Little Miss Shining Star 2015, Junior Miss Knox County TN MARS 2017, and Jefferson County Fair’s Fairest of the Fair Miss Beautifully Made 2019. I also recently achieved my dream of participating in my first fashion show and hope to model more in the future. With all this, I am so proud to be the co-creator of the #CPDreamTeam t-shirts for National and World CP Day each year. We’ve had 8 successful campaigns with these shirts and are working on the ninth for National CP Day 2020. It has been an honor and a blessing to watch these t-shirts become a centrical part of our campaign for CP awareness. In conclusion, I hope the take away from my story is that no matter your struggle, you should never let anyone or anything hold you back from reaching for the stars and following your dreams. Richelle & Heaven
Author’s Spotlight https://www.pacepromotional.com/world_cp_day/shop/homeMy first day of being a lobbying at the heart of Richmond Virginia. Telling my delegates and state Senators that we need to find a cure for cerebral palsy. It’s was a awesome and amazing experience for me.
In hopes of spreading Cerebral Palsy awareness, we are welcoming 31+ authors for takeovers each day, from March 1st to the 31st in Amanda Fino Reader’s Nest. Each day an author will post something about Cerebral Palsy, with giveaways and fun! The winner is the person who participates the most in the group during the entire month. Have fun, and enjoy it! People with Cerebral Palsy don’t need your sympathies or your hard-earned money. What we are looking for are your VOICE and understanding. To the people that live with Cerebral Pasty, We invite you all to tell each of your fantastic tales about overcoming, living life with CP.
Do one ever wounder who is really on the other end of your Keyboard?
I came to wonder that right now, while I reflect on this quote that I came across as I google how I was feeling. It’s a sad day involved in the Cerebral Palsy community for me. “We fear our enemy, but the bigger and real fear is that of a fake friend who is sweetest to your face and most vile behind your back.” -Mufti Ismail Menk
Today is one those days that I am hurting, and I am guilty as well too. Yet I wonder where the proof of my mistake, am I guilty? Is this one of those big mysteries that will haunt me, keeping me up at night years from now? I spent all day with a heavy heart re-read the past text and new emailing telling how shittily I am, and I even did a power-point timeline only to end up with no clue on why this happened. Jessica (my long-time BFF) who went to college to be a social worker scratched her head with wonder and told me that I did nothing this bad to case all of this. I don’t fully understand what I said that was so evil to have two of my CP friends block me after yelling at me for how much that I have hurt this person.
Right here, this is what went down. It’s like person ONE said in a text that person TWO was something and all I text back to said: “Yeah, she does that sometimes, what can I do?” God, you must think I said something that would make the devil proud, but I swear on my life that I did not. Having Cerebral Palsy, my speech impediment is so hard to pick up a phone and vent to a friend. No one really can understand me even when I am upset or sad. That makes texting, Facebook Messenger, and Email so much easier to chat and to vent. A few weeks ago, I vented to the wrong ear and when she told that person what I TOLD HER. All because she wants me to teach me a lesson like WHY come on, I was talking to you venting off as you do to me.
Waking up at 3 am to the same person yelling at me for something that I never said to our other friend. Like alright, let’s try to see why this other friend would even hurt me after swore that she would never hurt me, and she emailed me with this. So I know I hurt you but did my best to mentor you, but I can’t do it anymore. What!? Wait a second I didn’t even ever ask this person to mentor me, because my dad is my mentor. I am very, very hurt from this, and I need time to heal, but you can’t keep this CP Gal down.
How do you move forward when the past is holding you back? When the abuse from the past affects life choices in the present? Cerebral Palsy Gal is the riveting story of one woman’s quest to come to terms with her health, heartbreak, and family.Amanda was born with cerebral palsy. Throughout her life, she struggled against seemingly overwhelming odds to follow her dream – to be a best-selling writer. As a child, she endured appalling physical, mental, and emotional abuse from members of her own family, especially her mother, who could not accept Amanda’s condition. When her father was only fifty-nine, he died of cancer. She found comfort and solace with her grandmother – her “gragwa” as she called her – the only person in her childhood who cared for her. A chance meeting with a former U.S. intelligence officer and his family at a convention in Las Vegas gave Amanda the chance to be part of a loving family she so dearly craved.Cerebral Palsy Gal is the remarkable story of survival against the odds, a poignant, inspiring, and utterly compelling account of one person finding her own voice and, in turn, becoming the voice of those who, through disability, cannot speak for themselves.
Amanda was born with cerebral palsy. Throughout her life, she struggled against seemingly overwhelming odds to follow her dream – to be a best-selling writer. As a child, she endured appalling physical, mental, and emotional abuse from members of her own family, especially her mother, who could not accept Amanda’s condition. At age fifty-nine, her father died of cancer. She found comfort and solace with her grandmother – her ‘gragwa’ as she called her – the only person in her childhood who cared for her. A chance meeting with a former US intelligence officer and his family at a convention in Las Vegas gave Amanda the chance to be part of a loving family she so dearly craved. Cerebral Palsy Gal is the remarkable story of survival against the odds, a poignant, inspiring, and utterly compelling account of one person finding her own voice and, in turn, becoming the voice of those who, through disability, cannot speak for themselves.
