Wisconsin BPDD Awards Tale of an "Extraordinary Life"
Madison, WI (PRWEB) December 13, 2013 -- The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD), http://www.wi-bpdd.org, announced today a new winner in its storytelling campaign, Better Together: Sharing stories, Sharing lives. The campaign celebrates the many ways ordinary people come together to support one another across their personal and professional lives. Its newest winner, Laurie D., of Almond, WI, is recognized this month and will receive a Kindle Fire for her original story.
In her story submission, Laurie recalls her lifelong relationship with “Mary,” who defied the odds, her doctors and her disability to live life on her own terms. The feel-good story is a heartwarming account of what can happen when people with disabilities are empowered to chart their own paths when many with disabilities still struggle to direct the events of their own lives. Despite significant physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities, Laurie says Mary has led an “extraordinary life.” Doctors told her she wouldn’t live past 30. Today, in her 60s, Mary continues to beat the odds. “She’s an inspiration to me on so many levels,” said Laurie. “She’s taught me to be a better person, how to forgive others and how to keep pushing on, no matter what obstacles life throws you.”
The BPDD is looking for its next winning story. Anyone can participate. People living with a developmental disability - or who have a family member, friend, coworker or employee with a developmental disability - can visit http://www.bettertogether.wi-bpdd.org or the BPDD’s Facebook page to share their story and learn more. Storytellers have until December 31 to submit a story for the next prize drawing.
One storyteller a month will receive a prize for a story about a life touched by disability. Prizes include Kindle Fires, cash prizes and more. Stories can be submitted through the BPDD’s Facebook page or the Better Together website, http://www.bettertogether.wi-bpdd.org. Stories should be short personal accounts of about a page or less relating their experience of a life touched by disability.
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities, Better Together: Sharing stories, Sharing lives is a cooperative, multimedia initiative launched to increase awareness of the many ways people with disabilities can – and do – contribute to our greater communities. Throughout 2013, Better Together will use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other media to spotlight the importance of including people of all abilities in our communities by collecting and sharing stories from those whose lives have been touched by disability. One in six children in the U.S. grows up with a developmental disability¹. Better Together seeks to highlight the many ways people with disabilities contribute to our communities and our lives.
¹CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/index.html
Joshua Ryf, Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities, http://www.wi-bpdd.org, 888-332-1677, [email protected]
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