I was approximately 3 year of age when I was placed in a orphanage in Ottumwa Iowa (yes that is where Radar O’Reilly from MASH was from) and my case files were sealed. My stay at the orphanage was supposed to be temporary until a family that wanted me returned from vacation. Once they returned, the orphanage released me into their care. I wasn't there but a coouple of days before I was returned to the orphanage. Apparently I raised cane until they brought me back. This was also approximately the same time it was noticed that I was beginning to have difficulties walking, soon after I was not able to walk at all. It was then that the trips to the MD clinic in Iowa City first began. The first diagnosis was that I had a touch of seven different types of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Since more than one type of MD was present and I was to weak to wear heavy metal braces, the doctors were puzzled at how to treat me. They decided to try exercise in an attempt to strengthen the muscles.

I remember sitting in front of the big picture window watching the other kids in the orphanage outside playing and didn't really understand what was wrong with me that I couldn't walk,or why I couldn't jump up and go play with them. The doctors subjected me to a strict daily exercise schedule that would last several hours a day. The exercise involved equipment that would attach to my closet doorframe and had numerous pulleys and weights and I had to wear what I called my Herman Munster shoes for an hour. I really hated having to do the exercise while everyone else played and watched TV. Some of these exercise were not only lenghty, but also some what painful. By the time I was 6, I was back on my feet again and finally ready to start school. At first there was talk of me attending a special school for children with disabilities but with a little input from me, it was decided to let me at least try a regular school and see how it went. I continued with the exercise up till my teens, then slowly, one by one I stopped doing them.

School actually went pretty good for the most part, I was also able to walk to and from school (some times up to my knees in snow) with the rest of the kids. I was a bit slower then the rest, I pretty much had only one speed. It seemed to work and friends I would make would simply match my speed. Friends were hard to make as I bounced from one foster home to another though. Most of the family's wanted to keep me but simply were not able to keep up with such an active disabled child, so I would end up back in the orphanage. For the most part it was my decision to return to the orphanage. Although the majority of the foster homes I stayed at were great, I always seemed to be the happiest at the orphanage. I know there are many horror stories regarding orphanages out there, and my heart goes goes out to all of them and their loved ones but my experiences were happy for the most part. Times were much safer back then and orphanages would post your picture and a little about you in the Sunday paper so there was always some family showing up wanting to take you to the movies or the circus or something. Christmas, birthday and holidays were great. I never hurt for anything. At the age of nine I went to live with my last set of foster parents. I woould have preferred to have stay at the orphanage but, things were changing and they were my last chance at living with a family.