Allison

My childhood was spent in South Alabama. I was born in Selma and raised in Camden. I had a great childhood full of love, laughter and fun times. My memories seem to contradict themselves however, because I also experienced the pain and confusion of being born with no arms or legs.

Early on, my parents made the resilient decision to raise me as “normally” as possible. I wasn’t treated any differently than my sisters, Dana and Megan, or my peers. I learned to write by placing a pencil in my mouth, and still write (and type) that way.

Blessedly, my parents knew I was capable of becoming anything I wanted to be. So, rather than setting me aside they registered me in regular classes with my able-bodied friends in first grade. I went on to graduate from high school with that same group of kids.

After high school, I began college at Auburn University Montgomery. I moved out of my home at age 18 and since that time I have been living away from my parents or family members with the assistance of live-in Personal Care Attendants. I began college in the Fall of 1989 and graduated in the Spring of 1996 with a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling.

In the Fall of 1996 I began working as a therapist in Russellville, Alabama. I bought a home in the Littleville area, close to Muscle Shoals, and worked at Riverbend Center for Mental Health for eleven years.

In the Winter of 2005, I began writing stories about my childhood and my faith which I would eventually turn into a book. Being in the nostalgic mood, I looked up several old friends from childhood and reconnected with a place called Camp ASCCA. Two years later, I made the decision to totally change my profession and began working there.

On December 22, 2007 I moved into a home at Camp ASCCA and began the position as Public Relations Director. In January 2009 my book, I Was Born This Way, was a self-published release.

In the summer of 2011, I made the decision to relocate from the Camp ASCCA campus. This decision was supported by the ASCCA Board of Directors and Administration. Throughout my four years of living at Camp ASCCA, I had experienced significant difficulty with Live-In Personal Care Attendants and was unable to maintain a stable independent living environment.

On October 31, 2011, I bought a home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and relocated soon thereafter. This area of Alabama is rich with history, festivals, music and a great personal support system!

My work as the main spokesperson for Camp ASCCA Easter Seals will continue as the Director of Community Relations.

These are the facts of my life. All that happened in between them is the really cool part!