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8/1/2007 7:10 amLast Read: |
 ..........She crosses my mind now and again, this brave and lovely young woman, whom I doubt I'll ever meet. Sometimes, like now, I can't identify what stimulus caused her face and her story to surface into my immediate consciousness. I know only that I love and admire Rosemarie Siggins as some do their most venerated saints. I first saw this young mother when she was featured on a segment of Ripley's Believe It Or Not Her son, Luke, now almost a teen, was still in diapers. Rosemarie was born with a rare genetic disorder known as Sacral Agenesis, she had severely deformed legs with feet pointing in opposite directions. There was no feeling in the legs and, as a child, she was in danger of harming herself. When she was two years old her mother, after consulting with the best doctors at the hospital, decided that the wisest course of action was to have the legs amputated. Her mother's insightful decision allowed Rosemarie to lead a fairly normal childhood. As an adult, she's worked as an auto mechanic and since her mother's death a few years ago, she's been caring for her father who has Alzheimer's, and her brother who has severe mental disabilities, as well. Rosemarie chose to use a skateboard to get around and never used prosthetic legs or a wheel chair. Now, the years of using her arms as her legs in many ways is taking its toll and she's soon going to be forced into a wheelchair, once she can accept that reality. Her husband is there for her, ready and willing to take on whatever she will allow him to do - but none of this is what gets me: I am stopped dead in my tracks by her attitude. To me, Rosemarie is beautiful in body and soul. She has lovely, long, thick hair, a wonderful smile, and she is completely in charge of herself and her life. She's absolutely refused to let being legless slow her down, wear her down, tear her down - even being stared at everywhere she goes hasn't daunted her. It was astounding to see her on the ground with Luke's softball team all gathered 'round her, explaining to them in calm, easy to understand language, all about her medical history with her disability and why she is the way she is, so that they'll understand and not give HIM grief because of it. "Children can be very cruel," she says - and don't we all know it. The last time I saw Rosemarie and her family was on a Discovery Channel documentary. At the time, both her father's and her brother's medical conditions were rapidly deteriorating; fears about how she would be able to continue with her profession as an auto mechanic once she 'gave in' to the wheel chair were causing blood pressure problems for her, and their house needed major repairs. I would dearly love to know her present circumstances and whether anyone who saw that documentary was able to help the family ~ if Rosemarie could bring herself to accept such help. There was tension between her and her husband because he wanted to do more for her father and brother, but she wanted him to concentrate on 'their' family and let her handle her own. I'm not sure why Rosemarie's story holds such interest for me. All I know is that, if she can cope, function, be a good wife, mother, mechanic and everything else that she is, I have a mighty long way to go and a lot of improvements to make. "I wept because I had no shoes ...." !!! Have an inspired day, my friends! Hagitha  Another woman who commands my total respect is Jacqueline Saburido. G**gle it. Never lose a holy curiosity.  Albert Einstein TheHag
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8/2/2007 6:13 am |
As this excellent post reminds us;we all take our good fortunes for granted when we suffer none of the difficulties described here. An amazing woman. Quote, "I wept because I had no shoes ...." !!! "Then I met a person with no feet" Be happy the way you are is the lesson I take from this thoughtful blog with its recognition of reality. Thanks Elsie,and good fortune on your journey to Knoxville.  This is just a personal opinion, but life is more fun if you can find time to laugh. 
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8/2/2007 1:00 am |
Trisha16 You're teaching them wisdom and truth, there, Trisha. Every Thanksgiving and every Christmas of my childhood, before we sat down to eat, Daddy would say, "Children, we're all together with a dry roof over our heads, plenty to eat on the table, nobody's sick or in bad trouble. We're blessed and we're to be thankful."   So true, friend Ireland. I wish I knew how to get her name/story to those folks who do the Extreme Home Makeover TV series. She and her family are prime candidates. C'ya on yer blog, GF! sportslady09 She is one astounding human being, SL. Amazing heart. Amazing love. Amazing grace. ............................................................ ........................................................Thanks for the visit and the comments, ladies. Have a great day! Elsie Never lose a holy curiosity. Albert Einstein TheHag
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8/1/2007 8:38 pm |
Wow! What an amazing woman and I think I have problems.
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8/1/2007 3:44 pm |
It is wonderful to hear about someone who says I can and really does it. The amazing part is that she has the disability.The good part is that she was blessed with a husband that supports her and cares for her. Some disabilities are easier to see than others. Proof the Lord does not give us more than we can handle.
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8/1/2007 2:55 pm |
Great Blog, Ms. H, as usual. I often tell my children when they complain about their lives that life is telling them they have to much time on their hands! I tell them they should get busy and go out and find someone who needs help and give it. If we have time for whining, we have time for helping. Sounds like your heroine never had much time for whining, did she? May God bless her always. I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.
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